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THE  UNIVERSITY 
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THE 


BIBLE  EXPOSITOR. 


CONFIRMATIONS  OF  THE  TRUTH 


OF 


THE  HOLY  SCRIPTURES; 

FROM  THE 

OBSERVATIONS  OF  RECENT  TRAVELLERS, 


ILLUSTRATING 

THE  MANNERS,  CUSTOMS,  AND  PLACES  REFERRED  TO 
IN  THE  BIBLE. 


PUBLISHED  UNDER  THE  DIRECTION  OF  THE  SOCIETY  FOR  THE 
PROMOTION  OF  CHRISTIAN  KNOWLEDGE. 


NEW-YORK: 

D.  APPLETON  & C0.5  200  BROADWAY,, 
PHILADELPHIA: 

GEORGE  S.  APPLETON,  148  CHESNUT  ST 


MDCCCXLIV, 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/bibleexpositorco00soci_0 


&&0 

'QYl 


PREFACE. 


The  Holy  Scriptures  contain  many  passages  full 
of  importance  and  beauty,  but  not  generally  under- 
stood, because  they  contain  allusions  to  manners  and 
customs,  familiar  indeed  to  those  to  whom  they  were 
originally  addressed,  but  imperfectly  known  to  us. 

In  order  to  obviate  this  difficulty,  this  volume  is 
now  presented  to  the  public,  consisting  of  extracts 
from  the  narratives  of  travellers  who  have  recorded 
the  customs  of  the  Oriental  nations ; from  whom  we 
learn  that  some  usages  were  retained  among  them 
to  this  day,  such  as  existed  in  the  times  when  the 
Scriptures  were  written,  and  that  their  manners  are, 
in  many  instances,  little  changed  since  the  patri- 


IV 


PREFACE. 


archal  times.  Such  of  the  extracts  as  are  taken  from 
Harmer’s  Observations,  are  given  in  an  abridged 
form,  and  intermixed  with  others,  selected  from  more 
recent  publications ; and  the  compiler  of  this  volume 
trusts  that  it  may  be  the  means,  under  God’s  provi- 
dence, of  leading  unlearned  readers  to  a more  gen- 
eral acquaintance  with  Eastern  customs ; and  assist- 
ing them  to  a clearer  perception  of  the  propriety 
and  beauty  of  the  illustrations  so  often  drawn  from 
them,  in  the  Bible. 


CHAPTER  I. 


Hospitality  of  the  Eastern  Nations  — Tents  — Abraham’s  Tent 
— Gideon’s  Oak  — Striking  the  Tents  — Customs  in  dismissing 
Guests 


CHAPTER  II. 

Houses  — Hangings  for  Houses  — Housetops  — Roofs  — Walls 

— Gates  and  Locks  — Thresholds  — Pavements  — Untemper- 
ed Mortar — House-breaking  — Stables  — House  of  the  Dead 

— Tombs  — Temple  of  Dagon  — Tower  of  Mahanaim  (2  Sam., 
xviii.)  — Oratories  — Kneeling  on  the  Sea-shore 

CHAPTER  III. 

Custom  of  Women  fetching  Water  — Of  offering  Water  to  Trav- 
ellers— Water-carriers  — Manner  of  Washing  : the  Hands: 
the  Feet  — Fuel  — Young  Men  and  Children  taken  to  carry 
Wood  — U tensils  — Mills  — Millstones  — Kneading-troughs  — 
Lamps  — Waterpots  — Leathern  Bottles  — Horns  — Divans  — 
Beds— Seats  — Baking  — Churning  — Straining  Wine  — Pro- 
visions, and  Manner  of  Eating  — Men  and  Women  eat  sep- 
arately — Invitations  — Feasts  — Persian  Feasts  — Egyptian 
Feast  — Repasts  on  the  Sea-shore  — Feast  of  Tabernacles  — 
The  Passover  — Weddings  — Jewish  Wedding  — Marriage 
Ceremonies  — Births  — Manner  of  announcing  them  — Cere- 
monies attendant  on  them  — Manner  of  carrying  Chil- 
dren   


VI 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


Page 


Method  of  honoring  Distinguished  Persons  — Sending  Deputa- 
tions — Riding  — On  the  Royal  Horse  — Sending  Portions  from 
the  Tables  of  Great  Men  — Fixing  a Spear  wherever  a Person 
of  Consequence  reposes  — Marks  of  respect  — Kissing  the 
Feet,  Knees,  Robe,  Beard,  Hand,  Ground  — Concealing  the 
Feet  — Holding  the  Feet  — Putting  off  the  Shoes  — Dismount- 
ing — Tokens  of  Friendship  — White  Stone  — Presents  — Mark 
of  Agreement  — Customary  Salutations  - 87 


CHAPTER  V. 

Presents  — To  Friends  and  Relations  — Great  Men  — Public 
Dancers 105 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Dress  — Flowing  Garments  — Hyke  — Tunic  — Party  Colored 
Garments  — Arab  Cloak  — Wedding  Garment  — Face-Veil  — 
Ornaments  — Painting  the  Eyes  — Shaving  the  Beard  — Horns 
— Splendor  of  the  Eastern  Dresses  ....  109 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Various  Methods  of  Writing  — Written  Mountains  — Writing- 
Tables — Ancient  Books  — Manner  of  Reading  — Drawing  on 
Tiles  — Signet-ring  — Sealing  — Sacrifices  sealed  in  Egypt  126 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Customs  relating  to  the  Dead  — Assemblies  of  Mourners  — 
Mourning  Women  — Mournful  Music  — Tumultuous  Grief  of 
the  Mourners  — Signs  of  Grief — Uncovering  the  Head  and 
Feet  — Covering  the  Lips  — Funeral  Feasts  — Idolatrous  Cut- 
tings of  the  Flesh  — Baldness  between  the  Eyes  — Forty  Days’ 
Mourning 136 


CONTENTS; 


Vll 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Method  of  Travelling  — March  of  the  Israelites  — Arab  Travel- 
ing— Guides  — Running  Footmen  — Manner  of  Riding  — 
Messengers  — Highways  — Standards  - 145 


CHAPTER  X. 

Agriculture  — Ploughshares  — Dove-houses  for  Manure  — Pigeon 
Houses  in  Egypt  — Method  of  Watering  — Gathering  and 
Winnowing  Corn — Threshing  Corn  — Use  of  Oxen  thereto  — 

Hay  and  Oats  — Tares  — Mustard-seed  — Gardens  — Water- 
ing Gardens  — Grafting  — Vineyards  — Vines  — Wine-presses 
— Apples 155 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Markets  — Streets  for  Trades  — Taskmasters  — Method  of  hi- 
ring Laborers  — Agreements  — W eighing  Money  — Tax-gath- 
erers— Courts  of  Justice  — Laws  — Curious  Mode  of  De- 
cision   171 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Flocks  and  Herds  — Sheep  and  Shepherds  — Sheep-folds  - 184 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Wells  — Fountains,  and  Drawing  Water  — Pools  of  Solomon  — 
Mountainous  Pastures  — Pits  — Deserts  — Mirage  - - 191 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Natural  History  — Lions  — Arabian  Horse  — Wild  Asses  — 
White  Asses  — Dogs  — Crocodiles  — Storks  — Hunting  Part- 
ridges — Cock-crowing  — Serpents  — Scorpions  — Mice  — Lo- 
custs — Flies  — Locust-tree  — Salt 210 


viii 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XV.  5 

Climate  — Effect  of  Moonlight  — Heat  and  Cold  — Frost  and 
Snow  — Hail-Storms  — Wet  Seasons  — Rain  — Signs  of  Rain 
— Dry  Summer  — The  Simoon  — Waterspouts  — Whirlwinds  239 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Modern  Tartars  — Predatory  Character  of  the  Arabs  — Their 
Mode  of  Dwelling  and  of  Flight  — Bedouin  Encampment  — 
Arabs 257 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Account  of  the  Rechabites 270 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Miscellaneous  Observations  — Leprosy  — Eastern  Potters  — 
Smiting  on  the  Mouth  — Significant  Actions  much  used  in 
the  East  — Token  of  Enmity  — Stones  Erected  as  Memorials 

— Eastern  Games  — Maternal  Influence  — Shrines  — Spoils 
suspended  in  Sacred  Places  — Sacrifices  offered  to  Idols  in 
High  Places  — Religious  Marks  — Religious  Custom  in  Judea 

— In  China  and  Persia  — Roman  Soldiers  — Military  Subordi- 
nation among  the  Romans  — Barbarous  Custom  in  Warfare  — 


Hiding  Treasures  273 

Appendix 290 

General  Index  - 310 


Index  of  Texts  Illustrated  - 


316 


CHAPTER  I. 

Hospitality  of  the  Eastern  Nations — Tents — Abraham’s  Tent— 
Gideon’s  Oak — Striking  the  tents  (Isaiah  xxxvii.  12) — Cus- 
toms in  Dismissing  Guests. 

TENTS— HOSPITALITY. 

Genesis  xviii.  1-11. 

Abraham  “ sat  in  the  tent-door  in  the  heat  of  the 
day.  And  he  lift  up  his  eyes  and  looked,  and,  lo,  three 
men  stood  by  him  : and  when  he  saw  them,  he  ran  to 
meet  them  from  the  tent-door,  and  bowed  himself 
toward  the  ground,  and  said,  My  Lord,  if  now  I have 
found  favor  in  thy  sight,  pass  not  away,  I pray  thee, 
from  thy  servant : Let  a little  water,  I pray  you,  be 
fetched,  and  wash  your  feet,  and  rest  yourselves  under 
the  tree  : And  I will  fetch  a morsel  of  bread,  and  com- 
fort ye  your  hearts ; after  that  ye  shall  pass  on.  . . . 

1 


2 


TENTS HOSPITALITY* 


And  Abraham  hastened  into  the  tent  unto  Sarah,  and  said* 
Make  ready  quickly  three  measures  of  fine  meal,  knead 
it,  and  make  cakes  upon  the  hearth.  And  Abraham  ran 
unto  the  herd,  and  fetched  a calf  tender  and  good,  and 
gave  it  unto  a young  man  : and  he  hasted  to  dress  it 
And  he  took  butter  and  milk,  and  the  calf  which  he  had 
dressed,  and  set  it  before  them,  and  he  stood  by  them 
under  the  tree,  and  they  did  eat.  And  they  said  unto 
him,  Where  is  Sarah  thy  wife  ? And  he  said,  Behold, 
in  the  tent.  And  he  said,  I will  certainly  return  unto 
thee  according  to  the  time  of  life  ; and  lo,  Sarah  thy 
wife  shall  have  a son.  And  Sarah  heard  it  in  the  tent- 
door,  which  was  behind  him.” 

The  reception  met  with  by  an  English  traveller  (Mr. 
Buckingham)  in  Mesopotamia,  from  the  sheikh  (or  lord) 
of  a Turcoman  tent,  strongly  reminds  us  of  the  Scripture 
account  of  Abraham’s  hospitality,  as  well  as  illustrates 
the  patriarchal  manner  of  life, — the  “ dwelling  in  tents.” 

Mr.  Buckingham  was  on  his  way  to  Orfah,  the  “ Ur” 
of  the  Bible,  and  was  travelling  over  a plain  which  was 
under  the  direction  of  the  Sheikh,  who  pitched  his  tent 
at  different  periods  near  all  his  villages  successively. 
“ When  we  alighted  at  his  tent-door,”  writes  Mr.  B., 
“ our  horses  were  taken  from  us  by  his  son,  a young 
man  well  dressed.  His  father  was  sitting  beneath  the 
awning  in  front  of  the  tent  itself,  and  rose  up  to  receive 
us,  exchanging  the  salute  of  welcome,  and  not  seating 
himself  till  all  his  guests  were  accommodated.  The  tent 
occupied  a space  of  about  thirty  feet  square,  and  was 
formed  by  one  large  awning,  supported  by  twenty-four 
small  poles,  in  four  rows  of  six  each,  the  end  of  the 
awning  being  drawn  out  by  cords  fastened  to  pegs  in 
the  ground — (See  Isaiah  liv.  2.)  Half  of  this  square 
was  open  in  front  and  at  the  sides,  having  two  rows  of 
poles,  clear,  and  the  third  row  was  closed  by  a reeded 
part  ition,  behind  which  was  the  apartment  for  the  females, 
surrounded  entirely  by  the  same  kind  of  matting.  The 


TENTS HOSPITALITY. 


3 


sheikh  was  a fine-looking  old  man  of  eighty,  with  a 
long  beard  of  silvery  white.  Some  of  our  fellow-travellers 
seeing  us,  stopped  as  they  passed,  alighted  likewise,  and 
took  their  seats  without  invitation,  all  being  received 
with  the  same  welcome  salute,  until  the  party  amounted 
to  twenty-six  in  number.  While  we  were  talking,  a 
meal  was  preparing  for  us  within  ; and  soon  afterward, 
warm  cakes  baked  on  the  hearth , cream,  honey,  butter, 
raisins,  curds,  and  wheat  boiled  in  milk,  were  served  to 
the  company.  Neither  the  sheikh,  nor  any  of  his 
family  partook  with  us,  but  stood  around  to  wait  on 
their  guests,  though  some  beggars  and  slaves  were 
among  those  who  sat  down  to  eat.  The  reception  we 
met  with  was  exactly  like  the  picture  of  the  most  ancient 
manners  of  which  we  have  any  particular  account — (See 
Gen.  xvii.)  The  form  of  Abraham’s  tent  seems  to  have 
been  exactly  like  the  one  in  which  we  sat ; for  in  both 
there  was  a shaded  open  front,  in  which  he  could  sit  in 
the  heat  of  the  day,  and  yet  be  seen  far  off ; and  the 
apartment  of  the  females  where  Sarah  was,  within  the 
tent,  was  immediately  behind  this,  in  which  she  prepared 
the  meal  for  the  guests,  and  listened  to  them.” — See 
Buckingham’s  Travels. 

Herodotus  says,  “ In  remote  times,  the  families  even 
of  kings  had  but  little  money ; and  it  was  the  business 
of  the  queen  herself  to  cook  for  her  husband.” — Book 
viii.  cxxxvii. 

A traveller  writes  : — ■“  A sheikh,  who  has  the  com- 
mand of  500  horse,  does  not  disdain  to  saddle  and  bridle 
his  own,  nor  to  give  him  barley  and  chopped  straw.  In 
his  tent  his  wife  makes  the  coffee,  kneads  the  dough,  and 
superintends  the  dressing  of  his  victuals  ; his  daughter 
and  kinswomen  wash  the  linen,  and  go  with  pitchers  on 
their  heads,  and  veils  over  their  faces,  to  draw  water 
from  fountains.  These  manners  agree  precisely  with  the 
descriptions  in  Homer,  and  the  history  of  Abraham  in 
Genesis.” 

The  Grecian  poets,  Homer  and  Hesiod,  do  not  speak 


4 


ARAB  HOSPITALITY. 


of  gold  and  silver  money  ; they  express  the  value  of 
things,  by  saying  they  are  worth  so  many  oxen  or  sheep. 
They  estimated  the  riches  of  a man  by  the  number  of 
his  flocks,  and  that  of  a country  by  the  abundance  of  its 
pastures  and  the  quantity  of  its  metals.  These  observa- 
tions throw  great  light  upon  the  patriarchal  history. 
The  patriarchs  occupied  the  rank  of  chiefs,  or  princes  ; 
their  substance  consisted  in  their  flocks  and  herds  ; and 
in  the  occupations  and  duties  of  the  families  of  the  Tur- 
coman and  Bedouin  chiefs  of  modern  times,  we  have  an 
exact  transcript  of  their  domestic  manners. 

Abraham’s  rank  in  the  country  he  lived  in  was  that 
of  a prince,  or  emir ; and  a traveller  in  the  East,  who 
visited  the  camp  of  the  great  emir,  found  the  same  hos- 
pitality which  we  read  that  Abraham  showed  ; and  that, 
both  among  those  Arabs  who  live  in  the  camp,  as  he 
did,  and  also  in  the  villages  which  depend  upon  them, 
and  are  under  their  direction.  The  following  account 
relates  to  the  villages  :■ — 

“ When  strangers  enter  a village,  where  they  know 
nobody,  they  inquire  for  the  menzil  (the  place  destined 
for  the  reception  of  strangers),  and  desire  to  speak  with 
the  sheikh  (an  Eastern  officer),  who  is  as  the  lord  of  it, 
or  at  least  represents  his  person,  and  the  body  of  the 
community.  After  saluting  him  they  signify  their  want 
of  a dinner,  or  of  supping  and  lodging  in  the  village: 
The  sheikh  says  they  are  welcome , and  that  they  could 
not  do  him  a greater  pleasure.  He  then  marches  at  the 
head  of  the  strangers,  and  conducts  them  to  the  menzil, 
where  also  they  may  alight  at  once,  if  the  sheikh  is 
not  at  home,  and  ask  for  everything  they  want.  But 
they  seldom  have  occasion  for  all  this ; for  as  soon  as  the 
people  of  the  village  see  any  strangers  coming  \\\sy  inform 
the  sheikh  of  it,  who  goes  to  meet  them,  accompanied  by 
some  peasants,  or  by  some  of  his  servants  ; and  hav- 
ing saluted  them,  asks  if  they  would  dine  in  the  village, 
or  whether  they  choose  to  stay  the  whole  night  there. 
If  they  answer  they  would  only  eat  a morsel  and  go 


ARAB  HOSPITALITY. 


5 


forward,  and  they  choose  to  stay  under  some  tree  a little 
out  of  the  village,  the  sheikh  goes  or  sends  his  people 
into  the  village,  to  cause  a collation  to  be  brought ; and 
in  a little  time  they  return  with  eggs,  butter , curds , honey, 
olives,  fruit — fresh  or  dried,  according  to  the  season, 
when  they  have  not  time  to  cook  any  meat.”  But  if  it 
is  evening,  and  the  strangers  would  lodge  in  the  village, 
the  women  belonging  to  the  sheikh’s  house,  having  ob- 
served the  number  of  the  guests,  never  fail  to  cause 
fowls , sheep , lambs , or  a calf  to  be  killed , according 
to  the  quantity  of  meat  which  will  be  wanted  for  the 
entertainment  of  the  guests,  and  of  those  that  are  to 
bear  them  company  ; and  quickly  make  it  into  soup , roast 
it , and  form  out  of  it  many  other  dishes , which  they  send 
to  the  menzil  by  the  sheikh’s  servants,  in  wooden  bowls, 
which  they  place  on  a great  round  straw  mat  that  usu- 
ally serves  them  for  a table.  These  being  set  in  order, 
with  many  others,  in  which  are  eggs,  cheese,  fruit, 
salad,  sour  curdled  milk , &c.,  the  sheikh  begs  of  the 
strangers  to  sit  round  the  mat,  he  himself  sitting  with 
them,  together  with  the  other  peasants  of  fashion  be- 
longing to  the  village,  in  order  to  do  them  honor.  They 
make  no  use  of  knives  at  table,  the  meat  being  all  cut 
into  little  bits.” 

Abraham! s waiting  himself  upon  his  guests  was  in- 
tended to  show  his  extreme  reverence  for  them.  The 
Christians  in  the  East  often  wait  themselves  upon  guests 
of  superior  rank ; but,  otherwise,  they  sit  down,  and  are 
served  by  their  sons  or  kinsmen. — See  La  Roque's  Ac- 
count of  the  Journey  of  d’Arvieux,  in  Voyage  dans  Pal - 
estine ; Harmer's  Observations , vol.  ii.,  pp.  81-83. 

Judges  vi.  11-19. 

“And  there  came  an  angel  of  the  Lord,  and  sat 
under  an  oak  which  was  in  Ophrah,  that  pertained 
unto  Joash  the  Abi-ezrite  : and  his  son  Gideon  threshed 
wheat  ....  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  unto 
him,  and  said  unto  him,  The  Lord  is  with  thee  - ..  „ 

1* 


6 


ARAB  HOSPITALITY. 


And  [Gideon]  said  unto  him,  Depart  not  hence , I pray 
thee,  until  I come  unto  thee , and  bring  forth  my  pres- 
ent, and  set  it  before  thee.  And  he  said,  I will  tarry 
until  thou  come  again . And  Gideon  went  in,  and  made 
ready  a kid , and  unleavened  cakes  of  an  ephah  of 
flour  : the  flesh  he  put  in  a basket , and  he  put  the  broth 
in  a pot , and  brought  it  out  unto  him  under  the  oak9 
and  presented  it.” 

The  conduct  of  Gideon  perfectly  agrees  with  the 
present  Arab  customs,  and  is  explained  by  them.  Dr. 
Shaw  observes  in  his  travels,  “ Beside  a bowl  of  milk, 
and  a basket  of  figs,  raisins,  or  dates,  which  upon  our 
arrival  were  presented  to  us  to  stay  our  appetite,  the 
master  of  the  tent  fetched  us  from  his  flock , according 
to  the  number  of  our  company,  a kid  or  a goat,  a lamb 
or  a sheep,  half  of  which  was  immediately  seethed  by 
his  wife,  and  served  up  with  cuscacoe  ; the  rest  was 
made  kab-ab , — that  is,  cut  to  pieces  and  roasted, — which 
we  reserved  for  our  breakfast  or  dinner  next  day .”  (See 
Dr.  Shaw’s  Preface.)  Probably  Gideon  presented  some 
slight  refreshment  to  his  heavenly  guest,  and  desired 
him  to  stay  till  he  could  procure  something  more  sub- 
stantial. He  then  killed  a kid , seethed  a part  of  it,  and, 
when  ready,  brought  the  stewed  meat  (or  broth)  in  a pot 
with  cakes  of  bread;  and  the  other  part,  the  kab-ab , 
in  a basket,  for  the  stranger  to  carry  with  him,  for  some 
after-repast  in  his  journey.  At  the  present  time,  the 
Arabs,  as  well  those  who  live  in  houses  as  those  who 
dwell  in  tents,  leave  their  guests  under  a tree,  and  bring 
their  repasts  out  to  them. — Harmer’s  Observations,  vol. 
ii.,  pp.  88,  89. 

ARAB  HOSPITALITY. 

‘ We  found  a camp  of  Bedouins,”  writes  Mr.  Madden, 
“who  were  of  the  same  tribe  as  our  guides,  and  with 
^hem  we  remained  for  the  night.  We  did  not  wait  for 


ARAB  HOSPITALITY. 


7 


an  invitation  into  a tent : we  entered  the  first  we  met, 
and  found  a welcome. 

“ An  Arab  woman,  who  was  spinning  goat’s  wool  in 
the  interior,  gave  us  the  salutation  of  peace,  bid  us 
sit  down,  and  removed  her  two  children  to  the  next 
tent.  I purchased  a lamb  for  dinner,  which  she  roasted 
entire,  thrusting  a long  piece  of  wood  through  it,  and 
turning  it  over  a brisk  fire  of  chopped  straw  and  camels’ 
dung : two  little  Arabs  performed  the  office  of  turn- 
spits. The  savory  odor  of  my  lamb  spread  through 


the  whole  encampment : I was  presently  surrounded  by 
at  least  a score  of  Bedouins.  I invited  their  sheikh  and 
four  of  their  chief  men  to  dinner  ; and  with  these,  and 
my  two  Bedouin  guides,  I sat  down  to  my  repast.  It 
consisted  of  a large  wooden  bowl  of  boiled  rice,  in  the 
centre  of  which  was  placed  the  roasted  lamb.  I saw  the 
eyes  of  my  guests  sparkle  with  pleasure  as  they  surveyed 


8 


ARAB  HOSPITALITY. 


he  trencher.  They  all  took  their  long  knives  out  of 
their  girdles,  and  deposited  them  in  a circle  on  the 
ground  ; the  sheikh  then  said  grace.  In  a moment  there 
were  five-and-thirty  or  forty  fingers  plunged  into  the 
pilau,  (see  Matt.  xxvi.  23,)  and  speedily  as  many  into 
the  lamb  ; but  all  the  hurry  prevented  not  the  sheikh  from 
politely  picking  out  the  choicest  bits,  (see  John  xiii. 
25-27,)  and  presenting  them  to  me  with  his  greasy 
fingers.  After  dinner  we  sat  smoking  till  ten  o’clock. 
Stories  were  related,  and  I sang  an  Arab  song,  which  I 
learned  in  Upper  Egypt, — a favorite  air  of  theirs, — and 
never  were  people  more  delighted.  The  old  sheikh  act- 
ually besought  me  to  remain  with  him,  promising  to  give 
me  his  best  Arab  horse  if  I would  do  so.  I was  delight- 
ed with  their  simplicity  and  hospitality. 

“The  Bedouins  seldom  remain  above  one  month  in  one 
spot ; they  wander  about  the  deserts  from  well  to  well. 
When  their  flocks  have  eaten  up  what  little  verdure 
there  is  in  one  place,  they  strike  their  tents,  and  set  out 
for  another.” — Madden's  Travels , vol.  ii.,  pp.  185-187, 
189,  191. 

HOSPITALITY  OF  THE  WANDERING  TRIBES  IN 
PERSIA,  Etc. 

“We  came,”  writes  Mr.  Morier,  “ to  a small  plain, 
covered  with  the  black  tents  and  cattle  of  the  Eelauts. 
(Wandering  tribes,  whose  possessions  consist  of  flocks, 
herds,  and  camels,  and  who  resemble  the  Turcomans  in 
their  mode  of  life,  dwelling  in  tents,  and  removing  from 
place  to  place  according  to  the  seasons,  and  want  of 
pasturage.)  Here  we  had  a view  of  Mount  Ararat. 
We  went  to  the  largest  tent  in  the  plain,  and  there 
enjoyed  an  opportunity  of  learning  that  the  hospitality 
of  these  people  is  not  exaggerated.  As  soon  as  it  was 
announced  at  the  tent  that  strangers  were  coming,  every- 
thing was  in  motion  : some  carried  our  horses  to  the 
best  pastures,  others  spread  carpets  for  us  ; one  was 


HOSPITALITY  OF  WANDERING  TRIBES. 


9 


despatched  to  the  flock  to  bring  a fat  lamb,  the  women 
immediately  made  preparation  for  cooking,  and  we  had 
not  sat  long  before  two  large  dishes  of  stewed  lamb,  with 
several  basins  of  yaourt,  were  placed  before  us.  The 
senior  of  the  tribe,  an  old  man,  (by  his  own  account, 
indeed,  more  than  eighty-five  years  of  age,)  dressed  in 
his  best  clothes,  came  out  to  us,  and  welcomed  us  to  his 
tent  with  such  kindness,  yet  with  such  respect,  that  his 
sincerity  could  not  be  mistaken.  He  was  still  full  of 
aciivity  and  fire,  although  he  had  lost  all  his  teeth,  and 
his  beard  was  as  white  as  the  snow  on  the  venerable 
mountain  near  his  tent.  The  simplicity  of  his  manners, 
and  the  interesting  scenery  around,  reminded  me,  in  the 
strongest  colors,  of  the  life  of  the  patriarchs  ; and  more 
immediately  of  him  whose  history  is  inseparable  from 
the  mountains  of  Ararat.” — Morier's  Journey  through 
Persia , Armenia , fyc.,  in  1808  and  1809,  pp.  308,  309. 

TENTS. 

Isaiah  xxxviii.  12. 

“ Mine  age  is  departed,  and  is  removed  from  me  as  a 
shepherd’s  tent.”  Or  rather,  as  some  more  expressively 
translate  the  verse.  “ My  habitation  [that  is,  my  life]  is 
departed  from  me,  rolled  up  as  a shepherd’s  tent.”  The 
comparison  of  this  life  to  dwelling  in  a tent  is  familiar  to 
the  writers  both  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  The 
passage  alludes  to  the  custom  usual  among  the  Eastern 
nations  of  striking  and  rolling  up  their  tents  upon  the 
eve  of  departure. 

In  the  well-watered  parts  of  the  country  between  the 
Euphrates  and  the  Tigris,  there  are  still  several  tribes 
who  support  themselves  by  their  horses,  their  buffaloes, 
their  cows,  and  by  agriculture.  Their  remove  their 
habitations  from  country  to  country,  according  as  they 
want  lands  to  till,  or  pasturage  ; it  is  for  this  reason  we 
sometimes  find  whole  villages,  where,  the  day  before, 
there  was  not  a single  hut. 


10 


TENTS. 


The  Bedouins  of  the  desert  remove  their  tents  as 
suddenly.  “ There  is  something  very  melancholy,”  says 
a recent  traveller,  “ in  our  morning  Sittings.  The  tent- 
pins  are  plucked  up,  and,  in  a few  minutes,  a dozen  holes, 
a heap  or  two  of  ashes,  and  the  marks  of  the  camels’ 
knees  in  the  sand,  soon  to  be  obliterated,  are  the  only 
traces  left  of  what  has  been  for  a while  our  home.  There 
are  a thousand  allusions  to  this  primitive  mansion  in 
Scripture,  almost  unintelligible  till  familiarity  with  the 
tent,  the  camel,  and  the  desert,  explains  them.  I never 
drive  in  a tent-pin  without  thinking  of  Jael  and  Sisera.” 
After  reading  this,  what  a depth  of  meaning  we  discover 
in  the  lamentation  of  Hezekiah,  when  he  says  that  his 
age  is  removed,  like  one  of  these  tents,  in  an  instant, 
and  no  lasting  trace  of  it  remains. — Lord  Lindsay's 
Travels , i.  305. 

MUSIC  USED  BEFORE  JOURNEYS. 

Genesis  xxxi.  27. 

“ Wherefore  didst  thou  flee  away  secretly,  and  steal 
away  from  me  ; and  didst  not  tell  me,  that  I might  have 
sent  thee  away  with  mirth,  and  with  songs,  with  tabret, 
and  with  harp  V* 

1 Samuel  xviii.  6,  7. 

“ And  the  woman  came  out  to  meet  King  Saul,  with 
tabrets,  with  joy,  and  with  instruments  of  music.  And 
the  woman  answered  one  another  as  they  played,  and 
said,  Saul  hath  slain  his  thousands,  and  David  his  ten 
thousands.” 

Colossians  iii.  16  ; Ephesians  v.  19. 

“ Teaching  and  admonishing  one  another  in  psalms 
and  hymns,  and  spiritual  songs  ; singing  with  grace  in 
your  hearts  to  the  Lord.” 

In  their  longer  journeys  the  Eastern  people  take  leave 
of  their  relations  and  friends  with  music.  Laban,  there- 


MUSIC  USED  BEFORE  JOURNEYS. 


11 


fore,  complains,  Why  didst  thou  prevent  me  from 
taking  leave  of  my  daughters,  going  such  a journey, 
with  all  due  solemnity,  according  to  the  custom  of  my 
country  ? These  Eastern  songs  are  frequently  extem- 
poraneous. Some  travellers,  in  1751,  were  attended  by 
a guard  of  Arab  horsemen,  and,  when  the  business  of 
the  day  was  over,  these  latter  sat  down  in  a circle,  and, 
while  drinking  coffee,  one  of  the  company  amused  the 
others  with  an  extempore  song  or  story.  Such  were  the 
songs  of  the  Israelitish  women,  when  they  answered  each 
other  on  the  tabret ; and  in  consequence  of  this  Eastern 
custom,  St.  Paul,  exhorts  Christians  that  their  songs 
should  be  spiritual , that  with  their  voice  they  should 
praise  the  Lord , and  admonish  and  comfort  each  other. 
— Harmer's  Observations , vol.  ii.,  pp.  194-196. 

St.  Paul  speaks  of  psalms,  hymns,  and  songs,  in  both 
places,  alluding  to  the  three  kinds  of  psalms  in  use  among 
the  Hebrews. 


12 


CHAPTER  II. 

■Houses — Hangings  for  Houses — Housetops — Roofs — Walls — 
Gates  and  Locks — Thresholds — Pavements — Untempered  Mor- 
tar— Housebreaking — Stables — House  of  the  Dead — Tombs — 
Temple  of  Dagon — Tower  of  Mahanaim  (2  Sam.  xviii.) — Ora- 
tories— Kneeling  on  the  Sea-shore. 

HOUSES. 

2 Kings  iv.  10. 

“ Let  us  make  a little  chamber,  I pray  thee,  on  the 
wall ; . . . . and  it  shall  be,  when  he  cometh  to  us,  that 
he  shall  turn  in  thither.” 

2 Kings  ix.  2. 

“ Go  in,  and  carry  him  to  a chamber,  in  a chamber,” 
(marg.  reading)  : or,  into  the  most  private  chamber. 

Matthew  xxiv.  17. 

“ Let  him  which  is  on  the  house-top  not  come  down 
to  take  anything  out  of  his  house.” 

Acts  xx.  8,  9. 

li  And  there  were  many  lights  in  the  upper  chamber, 
where  they  were  gathered  together.  And  there  sat  in  a 
window  a certain  young  man  named  Eutychus,  being 
fallen  into  a deep  sleep  : and  as  Paul  was  long  preach- 
ing, he  sunk  down  with  sleep,  and  fell  down  from  the 
third  loft  and  was  taken  up  dead.” 

To  most  of  the  Eastern  houses  there  is  a smaller  one 
annexed,  which  sometimes  rises  one  story  higher  than 
the  house  ; at  other  times,  it  consists  of  one  or  two 
rooms  only,  and  a terrace  ; while  others  that  are  built 
over  the  porch  or  gateway,  (see  2 Sam.  xviii.  33,)  have, 
except  the  ground-floor,  all  the  conveniences  that  belong 
to  the  house,  properly  so  called.  There  is  a door  of 
communication  from  them  into  the  gallery  of  the  house, 
-beside  another  door  which  opens  immediately  from  a 


HOUSES. 


13 


private  staircase  down  into  the  porch  or  street,  without 
giving  the  least  disturbance  to  the  house.  So  that  he 
which  was  on  the  housetop  might  run  down  immediately 
without  going  into  his  house.*  In  these  back-houses, 
as  we  may  call  them,  strangers  are  usually  lodged  and 
entertained  ; and  the  men  also  are  wont  to  retire  there, 
from  the  hurry  and  noise  of  their  families,  for  medita- 
tion or  diversion.  The  upper  chamber  where  Tabitha 
was  laid  (Acts  ix.  37),  and  where  Eutychus  also  fell 
down  from  the  third  loft  (Acts  xx.  8,  9,  &c.),  were  so 
many  back-houses  or  private  apartments.”  To  one  of 
these  our  Lord  retired,  to  eat  the  passover  with  his>  dis- 
ciples.— See  Dr.  Shaw’s  Travels , pp.  280,  281. 

Jowett  describes  his  residence  at  Haivali  in  Greece, 
as  illustrating  this  passage  ; and  it  is  descriptive  of  the 
generality  of  eastern  houses.  The  ground  floor  was 
used  as  a store.  The  first  floor  consisted  of  an  humble 
suite  of  rooms  for  daily  use.  On  the  upper  floor  the 
rooms  were  large  and  elegant ; the  windows  in  front 
projected  and  overhung  the  street;  round  the  room,  and 
particularly  in  the  windows,  was  a raised  step  or  divan, 
for  the  more  distinguished  guests  ; and  when  the  com- 
pany was  numerous,  they  placed  cushions  for  a second 
row  of  persons.  Thus  Eutychus  would  be  on  a level 
with  the  open  window,  and  might  easily  fail  out.  He 
also  notices  the  great  plenty  of  oil  in  that  neighborhood, 
which  would  enable  them  to  have  many  lamps,  and  the 
heat  would  increase  the  drowsiness  of  the  youth,  and 
account  for  the  window  being  open. — See  note  on  this 
verse  in  Henry  and  Scott’s  Commentary. 

HANGINGS  OF  NEEDLEWORK. 

Exodus  xxvi.  36. 

“ Thou  shalt  make  a hanging  for  the  door  of  the 
tent,  of  blue,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and  fine  twined 
linen  wrought  with  needlework.” 

* At  the  time  of  an  earthquake  at  Aleppo,  Mr.  Barker  ran  into 
the  street  when  he  felt  the  shock,  without  going  through  the  house. 

2 


14 


HANGINGS  OF  NEEDLEWORK. 


Mr.  Morier,  while  travelling  in  Persia,  passed  several 
encampments  of  the  Eelauts  (or  wandering  tribes).  He 
writes  : “ We  stopped  to  examine  the  tent  of  the  chief 
of  the  family,  at  one  of  these  encampments.  It  was 
composed  of  a wooden  frame  of  circular  lath,  which  was 
fixed  on  the  ground,  and  then  covered  over  with  large 
felts,  that  were  fastened  down  by  a cord  (Isaiah  liv.  2), 
ornamented  by  tassels  of  various  colors.  A curtain, 
curiously  worked  by  the  women  with  coarse  needlework 
of  various  colors,  was  suspended  over  the  door.  In  the 
king  of  Persia’s  tents,  magnificent  hangings  of  needle- 
work are  suspended,  as  well  as  on  the  doors  of  the  great 
mosques  in  Turkey.” — Morier* s Second  Journey  through 
Persia , tyc.,  p.  251. 


15 


HOUSETOPS. 

Acts  x.  9. 

“ Peter  went  up  upon  the  housetop  to  pray.” 

Luke  v.  19. 

“ They  went  up  upon  the  housetop,  and  let  him  down 
through  the  tiling  with  his  couch,  into  the  midst  before 
Jesus.” 

Deut.  xxii.  8. 

“ When  thou  buildest  a new  house,  then  thou  shalt 
make  a battlement  for  thy  roof,  that  thou  bring  not  blood 
upon  thine  house,  if  any  man  fall  from  thence.” 

The  tops  of  the  Eastern  houses  are  always  flat,  and 
covered  with  plaster  or  terrace.  These  terraces  or 
roofs  are  used  for  many  family  purposes — drying  linen 
or  flax  (Josh.  ii.  6,  &c.),  and  in  the  summer  time  for  sleep- 
ing on  (2  Sam.  xi.  2).  Here,  too,  the  Eastern  people 
enjoy  the  evening  air,  and  converse  (Luke  xii.  3).  Here, 
too,  they  sometimes  pray,  and  here  the  booths  were  made 
for  the  feast  of  tabernacles.  The  roofs  are  generally 
surrounded  by  a parapet  or  wall  breast-high  ; but  instead 
of  this,  some  terraces  are  guarded  with  balustrades  only, 
or  latticed  work.  Of  the  same  kind,  probably,  was  the 
lattice  through  which  Ahaziah  fell  (2  Kings  i.  2).  This 
incident  proves  the  necessity  of  the  law  for  the  forma- 
tion of  battlements  for  the  roof,  which  God  graciously 
gave  from  Mount  Sinai,  which  furnishes  a beautiful 
example  of  his  paternal  care  and  goodness.  These 
battlements  are  the  low  walls  or  parapets  before  men- 
tioned. 

The  Eastern  houses  (as  in  Bagdad)  consist  of  ranges 
cf  apartments  opening  into  a court  within  the  building ; 
the  rooms  underground  are  occupied  when  the  heat  is 
intense  : and  from  these,  in  the  cool  of  the  evening,  the 
families  go  up  on  the  terraces.  The  houses  are  not 
nearly  so  high  as  ours,  and  several  families  inhabit  fre- 


16 


HOUSETOPS 


quently  one  house.  Two  and  three  stories  high  is  about 
the  height  of  the  houses,  at  least  some  are  as  high  as 
this.  There  are  also  galleries  round  the  court.  In 
these  courts,  on  occasion  of  a feast,  or  when  many 
persons  met  together,  it  was  usual  for  them  to  be  enter- 
tained— the  courts  being  covered  with  mats  and  carpets, 
and  an  awning  stretched  overhead  to  keep  out  sun  or 


rain.  It  was  probably  here  that  our  Lord  often  taught 
his  disciples,  and  those  who  came  to  hear  him  ; and  here, 
many  think  the  man  sick  of  the  palsy  was  brought  to 
him,  being  let  down  from  the  housetop  into  the  midst  of 
those  who  were  in  the  court,  the  covering  being  removed ; 
for  the  word  translated  tiling,  or  roof,  means  also  a cover- 
ing. But  if,  as  others  think,  the  sick  man  was  let  down 
through  the  roof  of  the  house  into  a room  where  Jesus 
was,  this,  also,  would  have  been  easily  done.  A mis 
sionary  in  the  East,  the  Rev.  J.  Hartley,  writes  in  his 
travels  : “ When  I lived  at  jEgina,  I used  to  look  up 


HOUSETOPS. 


17 


not  unfrequently  at  the  roof  above  my  head,  and  con- 
template how  easily  the  whole  transaction  might  take 
place.  The  roof  was  made  in  the  following  manner  : 
a layer  of  reeds  of  a large  species  was  placed  upon  the 
rafters  ; on  these  a quantity  of  heather  was  strewed  ; on 
the  heather  earth  was  deposited,  and  beaten  down  into  a 
solid  mass.  Now,  what  difficulty  would  there  be  in 
removing  first  the  earth,  next  the  heather,  and  then 'the 
reeds  ; nor  would  the  difficulty  be  increased,  if  the  earth 
had  a pavement  of  tiling  laid  upon  it.  No  inconvenience 
could  result  to  the  persons  in  the  house,  from  the  removal 
of  the  tiles  and  earth,  for  the  heather  and  reeds  would 
stop  anything  that  might  otherwise  fall  down,  aud  would 
be  removed  last  of  all.” — See  Hartley's  Researches  in 
Greece . 

Isaiah  xxii.  1. 

“ What  aileth  thee  now,  that  thou  art  wholly  gone  up 
to  the  housetops  V ' 

Matthew  xxiv.  17. 

“ Let  him  which  is  on  the  housetop  not  come  down.” 

Isaiah  is  here  describing  the  state  of  a city  on  a 
sudden  alarm.  Mr.  Hartley  says,  “ It  is  customary  in 
Turkey,  on  every  alarm  of  fire,  for  all  persons  instantly 
to  go  to  the  top  of  the  house,  in  order  from  that  height 
to  discover  the  direction  in  which  the  fire  has  made  its 
appearance.  Very  frequently  the  cry  4 Fire  !’  startles 
the  sleeping  inhabitants  of  a town  from  their  slumbers, 
and  gives  a practical  illustration  of  the  scriptural  lan- 
guage, ‘ Why  art  thou  wholly  gone  up  to  the  house- 
tops V ”■ — Hartley's  Greece. 

Matthew  x.  27. 

M What  ye  hear  in  the  ear,  that  preach  ye  upon  the 
housetops.” 

The  expression,  “ that  preach  ye  upon  the  house- 
tops,” appears  nothing  unnatural  to  those  who  daily  see 
these  houses.  They  are  low  and  flat-roofed,  and  would 

2* 


18 


HOUSETOPS. 


give  an  opportunity  to  speak  to  many  on  the  house  and 
many  in  the  court  below. — Jowetfs  Researches. 

Eusebius,  in  his  Church  History  (ii.  23),  tells  us,  that 
the  Pharisees  who  had  a design . upon  the  life  of  St. 
James,  the  brother  of  our  Lord,  and  bishop  of  Jerusalem, 
persuaded  him  to  preach  to  the  people  when  assembled 
at  the  passover,  from  the  battlements  of  the  temple  ; 
alluding  to  this  custom  of  proclaiming  from  the  house- 
top whatever  was  to  be  made  known  far  and  wide. 


EASTERN  ROOFS. 

Psalm  cxxix.  6. 

“ Let  them  be  as  the  grass  upon  the  housetops,  which 
withereth  afore  it  groweth  up. 

The  following  passage  occurs  in  Jowett's  Christian 
Researches , in  his  Journal  of  a Visit  to  Syria  and  the 
Holy  Land  : “ October  8th.  This  evening  the  season 


EASTERN  ROOFS. 


19 


broke.  Thunder,  and  lightning,  and  rain,  came  from 
the  west.  The  whole  prospect  became  dreary  and 
cheerless.  In  the  morning  of  this  day, — not  an  hour 
too  soon, — the  master  of  the  house  had  laid  in  a stock 
of  earth ; which  was  carried  up,  and  spread  evenly 
upon  the  roof  of  the  house,  which  is  flat.  The  whole 
roof  is  thus  formed  of  mere  earth,  laid  on  and  rolled 
hard  and  flat, — not,  as  in  Malta,  of  a composition  which 
is  smooth  and  impenetrable,  and  thus  receives  the  rain- 
water, and  carries  it  off  into  the  tanks  under  the  house. 
There  is  no  want  of  flowing  water  in  this  mountainous 
country,  as  there  is  in  Malta.  On  the  top  of  every 
house  is  a large  stone  roller,  for  the  purpose  of  harden- 
ing and  flattening  this  layer  of  rude  soil,  so  that  the 
rain  may  not  penetrate  : but  upon  this  surface,  as  may 
be  supposed,  grass  and  weeds  grow  freely.  It  is  to  such 
grass  that  the  Psalmist  alludes,  as  useless  and  bad,  ‘ Let 
them  be  as  the  grass  upon  the  house-tops,  which  wither- 
eth  afore  it  groweth  up.’  ” — See  Rev.  W.  Jowetfs  Chris - 
tian  Researches , and  Journal  of  a Visit  to  Syria  and  the 
Holy  Land. 

WALLS. 

Deuteronomy  i.  28. 

“ The  cities  are  great  and  walled  up  to  heaven.’5 

If  they  raised  up  anciently  the  walls  of  their  cities  so 
high  as  not  to  be  liable  to  be  scaled,  they  thought  them 
safe  ; the  same  simple  contrivance  is  to  this  day  suffi- 
cient to  guard  places  from  the  Arabs,  who  live  in  the 
very  wilderness  in  which  Israel  wandered  when  the  spies 
discouraged  them  by  saying,  “ The  cities  are  walled  up 
to  heaven,” — and  who  are  a nation  more  inured  to  war- 
like enterprises  than  the  Israelites  were. 

“ The  great  monastery  at  Mount  Sinai,”  Thevenot  says, 

“ is  well  built  of  good  freestone,  with  very  high  smooth 
walls.  On  the  east  side  there  is  a window,  by  which 
those  that  were  within  drew  up  pilgrims  into  the  monas- 


20 


WALLS. 


tery  with  a basket,  which  they  let  down  by  a rope 
that  runs  in  a pulley,  to  be  seen  above  at  the  window, 
and  the  pilgrims  went  into  it  one  after  another.  [In 


something  of  this  way  St.  Paul  must  have  been  let  down 
the  walls  of  Damascus,  which  were  low.]  These  walls 
are  so  high  that  they  cannot  be  scaled,  and  without 
cannon  the  place  cannot  be  taken.” — See  Harmer's  Ob- 
servations, vol.  i.,  pp.  390,  391. 

GATES— LOCKS. 

Acts  xii.  10. 

“ When  they  were  past  the  first  and  the  second  ward, 
they  came  unto  the  iron  gate  that  leadeth  unto  the  city.” 

Vain  would  have  been  the  precaution  of  building 
their  walls  high,  unless  the  gates  had  been  well  secured 


GATES LOCKS. 


21 


also.  One  of  the  means  whereby  they  secure  them  now 
is  the  plating  them  over  with  thick  iron.  Algiers  has 
five  gates  ; and  some  of  these  have  two,  some  three 
gates  within  them,  and  some  of  them  plated  all  over  with 
thick  iron.  After  this  manner  the  place  where  St.  Peter 
was  imprisoned  seems  to  have  been  secured. 


Their  locks  and  keys  are  often  only  of  wood.  The 
keys  of  the  city-gates  of  Grand  Cairo  are  bits  of  timber, 
with  little  pieces  of  wire,  that  lift  up  other  pieces  of  wire 
which  are  in  the  lock,  and  enter  into  certain  little  holes , 
out  of  which  the  ends  of  wire  that  are  in  the  key  having 
thrust  them,  the  gate  is  opened.  But,  without  the  key, 
a little  soft  paste  upon  the  end  of  one’s  finger  will  do  the 
matter  quite  as  well.  The  ease  with  which  these  locks 
are  opened  without  a key,  puts  us  in  mind  of  the  words 
(Canticles  v.  4),  “ My  beloved  put  in  his  hand  by  the 
hols”  &c. ; he  attempted  to  open  the  door  by  putting  in 
his  finger  at  the  key-hole,  but  could  not.  u Then  I was 
greatly  moved  ; I rose  up  to  open  to  my  beloved  and, 
as  in  verse  1 he  had  said  “ I have  gathered  myrrh/’  so, 


22 


GATES LOCKS. 


having  tried  to  open  the  door  with  a hand  filled  with  this 
precious  gum,  the  spouse,  when  she  went  to  the  door, 
found  that  her  fingers  gathered  it  up  from  the  handles 
of  the  lock  : in  the  language  of  poetry,  “ her  hand  drop- 
ped myrrh,  her  fingers  sweet-smelling  myrrh.”  (Verse  5.) 

* — See  Harmer's  Observations , vol.  i.,  pp.  392-396. 

Ezekiel  xliv.  2,  3. 

“ This  gate  shall  be  shut,  it  shall  not  be  opened,  and 
no  man  shall  enter  in  by  it ; because  the  Lord,  the  God 
of  Israel,  hath  entered  in  by  it,  therefore  it  shall  be  shut. 
It  is  for  the  prince.” 

It  is  a common  custom  in  Persia,  when  a great  man 
has  built  a palace,  that  he  treats  the  king  and  his 
grandees  in  it  for  several  days  : then  the  great  gate  of 
it  is  open  : but,  when  these  festivities  are  over,  they  shut 
it  up,  never  more  to  be  opened . — Sir  J.  Chardin ; Ha?'- 
mer's  Observations , vol  ii.,  pp.  475,  476. 

THRESHOLDS. 

Ezekiel  xliii.  8. 

“ In  their  setting  of  their  threshold  by  my  thresholds^ 
and  their  post  by  my  posts,  ....  they  have  even  de- 
filed my  holy  name.” 

The  threshold  is  the  place  where  honor  is  more  par- 
ticularly paid  to  the  living  and  the  dead  in  some  parts 
of  the  East.  The  Persians  prostrate  themselves  on  the 
threshold  of  their  sacred  tombs  ; and  princes  also  are 
thus  honored. 

The  posts  of  the  temple  of  God  appear  to  have  been 
honorable  places ; for  near  one  of  them,  in  the  taber- 
nacle, Eli,  the  high-priest,  sat  (1  Sam,  i.  9).  When 
the  idolatrous  temples,  therefore,  were  set  up,  the  idol- 
priests  may  have  been  seen  seated  by  the  posts,  in  imita- 
tion and  mockery  of  the  high-priests  of  Jehovah. — 
Harmer's  Observations , vol.  ii.  496-499. 


23 


PAVEMENTS. 

Exodcjs  xxiv.  10. 

" And  they  saw  the  God  of  Israel : and  there  was 
under  his  feet  as  it  were  a paved  work  of  a sapphire 
stone,  and  as  it  were  the  body  of  heaven  in  his  clearness.” 

Polished  marble  was  not  used  in  the  days  of  Moses 
for  pavements.  He  refers  to  the  most  splendid  floors 
which  Egypt  then  knew,  and  which  were  formed  of 
painted  tiles  (or  bricks).  These  tiles  were  the  color 
of  blue  (the  sapphire  stone  being  blue)  in  the  pavement 
Moses  saw.  And  Le  Bruyn  tells  us,  that  the  mosque 
at  Jerusalem  is  almost  all  covered  over  with  green  and 
blue  bricks,  which  are  glazed ; so  that,  when  the  sun 
shines  the  eye  is  perfectly  dazzled.  But  as  these  bricks 
are  not  transparent,  Moses,  in  order  to  describe  the 
pavement  under  the  feet  of  the  God  of  Israel  with  due 
majesty,  represents  it  as  like  the  floors  of  painted  tile  he 
had  seen,  but  transparent  as  the  body  of  heaven. — See 
Le  Bruyn , tom.  ii.  ; Harmer's  Observations , vol.  i.,  pp. 
359-361. 

UNTEMPERED  MORTAR. 

Ezekiel  xiii.  11. 

“ Say  unto  them  which  daub  it  with  untempered  mor- 
tar, that  it  shall  fall  : there  shall  be  an  overflowing 
shower ; and  ye,  O great  hailstones,  shall  fall ; and  a 
stormy  wind  shall  rend  it.” 

The  Eastern  walls,  and  even  the  great  houses,  are  in 
some  places  built  only  of  mud  or  clay,  formed  into  the 
shape  of  bricks,  and  dried  in  the  sun.  These  materials 
make  the  streets  dusty  when  there  is  wind,  and  dirty 
when  there  is  rain.  (Zech.  ix.  3.) 

A traveller  has  taken  notice  of  the  mouldering  down 
of  some  Eastern  buildings  upon  a shower  of  rain,  as  an 
illustration  of  the  untempered  mortar  of  which  Ezekiel 
speaks.  “ The  rains  cause  the  walls  to  fall,  which  are* 
built  of  clay,  the  mortar  plastering  dissolving.  This 
plaster  hinders  the  water  from  penetrating  the  bricks  ; 


24 


UNTEMPERED  MORTAR. 


but  when  the  plastering  has  been  soaked  with  wet,  the 
wind  cracks  it,  and  occasions  the  rain  in  some  succeed- 
ing shower  to  get  between,  and  dissolve  everything.” 
This  account  explains  also  the  reason  of  the  breaches 
and  clefts  mentioned  by  the  prophet  Amos  (vi.  11  ; Isa. 
xxx.  13).  Still  many  buildings  are  made  of  stone;  as 
they  were  in  the  days  of  Moses  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 
(Lev.  xiv.  40).  The  Eastern  mortar  is  very  durable, 
and  is  composed  of  one  part  of  sand,  two  of  wood-asAes, 
and  three  of  lime,  which  is  beaten  for  three  days  and 
nights  with  mallets,  after  being  well  mixed  together.  In 
some  countries  this  mortar  is  trodden , which  Malachi 
alludes  to  in  ch.  iv.  3. — See  Harmer's  Observations , vol. 
i.,  pp.  349-353. 

MANNER  OF  BREAKING  INTO  EASTERN  HOUSES. 

Matthew  xxiv.  43. 

“ But  know  this,  that  if  the  good-man  of  the  house 
had  known  in  what  watch  the  thief  would  come,  he  would 
have  watched,  and  would  not  have  suffered  his  house  to 
be  broken  up”  (or,  to  be  dug  through). 

In  entering  premises  by  burglary,  the  Easterns  do  not 
break  through  doors  or  windows,  for  these  are  not  easily 
accessible,  but  they  make  their  way  through  the  walls. 
The  words  “ break  through,”  and  “ broken  up,”  properly 
mean,  to  “ dig  through.”  The  Eastern  houses  are  not 
in  general  built  like  ours,  of  burnt  bricks  or  stone,  but 
of  dried  clay  ; or,  if  of  bricks,  they  are  merely  hardened 
in  the  sun,  but  not  burnt ; and  it  was  the  manner  of 
house-robbers  to  enter  them  by  perforating  the  walls. 
It  has  been  particularly  remarked,  that  the  Arabians, 
Egyptians,  and  inhabitants  of  Damascus,  still  build  of 
mud,  and  slime,  and  unburnt  brick,  and  that  their  walls 
are  of  great  thickness. — Weekly  Visiter. 

• STABLES. 

Luke  ii.  7. 

“ And  she  brought  forth  her  first-born  son,  and 


STABLES. 


25 


wrapped  him  in  swaddling-clothes,  and  laid  him  in  a 
manger  ; because  there  was  no  room  for  them  in  the  inn.” 
Mangers,  such  as  we  have  in  England,  are  not 
known  in  the  East,  where  there  is  no  hay  ; but  in  their 
stables , which  word  is  meant  in  this  passage  rather  than 
manger , are  stone-troughs,  or  holes  of  stone,  in  which 
they  lay  the  fodder,  and  which  are  large  enough  to  lay  a 
child  in.  In  one  of  these  the  blessed  Jesus  was  laid, 
because  there  was  no  room  for  him  in  the  inn. — Dr, 
Russell ; Harmer's  Observations , vol.  ii.,  p.  202,  note. 


HOUSE  OF  THE  DEAD. 

1 Samuel  xxv.  1. 

“ And  Samuel  died  ; and  all  the  Israelites  were  gath- 
ered together,  and  lamented  him,  and  buried  him  in  his 
house  at  Ram  ah.” 


3 


26 


HOUSE  OF  THE  DEAD. 


1 Kings  ii.  34. 

•J  So  Benaiah,  the  son  of  Jehoiada,  went  up,  and  fell 
upon  him,  and  slew  him  ; and  he  was  buried  in  his  own 
house  in  the  wilderness.” 

Job  xxx.  23. 

“For  I know  that  thou  wilt  bring  me  to  death,  and 
to  the  house  appointed  for  all  living.” 

“ While  walking  out,  one  evening,  a few  fields’  dis- 
tance from  Deir  el  Kamr  (on  Mount  Lebanon),  with 
the  son  of  my  host,  to  see  a detached  garden  belonging 
to  his  father,  he  pointed  out  to  me,  near  it,  a small  solid 
stone  building,  apparently  a house,  very  solemnly  adding, 
‘ The  sepulchre  of  our  family.’  It  had  neither  door  nor 
window.  He  then  directed  my  attention  to  a consider- 
able number  of  similar  buildings  at  a distance,  which, 
to  the  eye,  are  exactly  like  houses,  but  which  are,  in 
fact,  family  mansions  for  the  dead.  They  have  a most 
melancholy  appearance,  which  made  him  shudder  as  he 
explained  their  use.  They  seem,  by  their  dead  walls, 
which  must  be  opened  at  each  several  interment  of  the 
members  of  a family,  to  say,  ‘ This  is  an  unkindly  house, 
to  which  visiters  do  not  willingly  throng — but  one  by 
one,  they  will  be  forced  to  enter,  and  none  who  enter 
come  out  again.’  Perhaps  this  custom,  which  prevails 
particularly  at  Deir  el  Kamr,  and  in  the  lonely  neigh- 
boring parts  of  the  mountain,  may  have  been  of  great 
antiquity,  and  may  serve  to  explain  some  Scripture 
phrases.  The  prophet  Samuel  was  buried  in  his  house 
at  Ramah — it  would  hardly  be  in  his  dwelling-house. 
Joab  was  buried  in  his  own  house  in  the  wilderness. 
This  is  the  house  appointed  for  all  living.” — Jowett's  Re- 
searches. 

EASTERN  TOMBS. 

Matthew  xxiii.  27,  29. 

“ Wo  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  ! 
for  ye  are  like  unto  whited  sepulchres  [washed  over 


EASTERN  TOMBS 


27 


with  white  lime]  which  indeed  appear  beautiful  outward, 
but  are  within  full  of  dead  men’s  bones,  and  of  all  un- 
cleanness  

“Wo  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  ! 
because  ye  build  the  tombs  of  the  prophets,  and  garnish 
the  sepulchres  of  the  righteous ” 


If  we  except  a few  persons,  who  are  buried  within  the 
precincts  of  some  sanctuary,  the  rest  are  carried  out  at 
a small  distance  from  their  cities  and  villages,  where  a 
great  extent  of  ground  is  allotted  for  that  purpose.  Each 
family  has  a particular  portion  of  it,  walled  in  like  a 


28 


EASTERN  TOMBS. 


garden,  where  the  bones  of  their  ancestors  have  remained 
undisturbed  for  many  generations.  For  in  these  enclo- 
sures the  graves  are  all  distinct  and  separate,  having 
each  of  them  a stone  placed  upright,  both  at  the  head 
and  feet,  inscribed  with  the  name  of  the  person  who  lies 
interred  there  ; while  the  intermediate  space  is  either 
planted  with  flowers,  bordered  round  with  stone,  or  paved 
all  over  with  tiles.  The  graves  of  the  principal  citizens 
are  further  distinguished  by  some  square  chambers  or 
cupolas  that  are  built  over  them.  Now,  as  all  these  dif- 
ferent sorts  of  tombs  and  sepulchres,  with  the  very  walls 
likewise  of  the  enclosures,  are  constantly  kept  clean, 
whitewashed  and  beautified,  they  continue  to  this  day  to 
be  an  excellent  comment  upon  that  expression  of  our 
Savior,  where  he  mentions  the  garnishing  of  the  sepul- 
chres, and  again  where  he  compares  the  scribes,  Phari- 
sees, and  hypocrites,  to  whited  sepulchres,  which  indeed 
appear  beautiful  outward,  but  are  within  full  of  dead 
men’s  bones,  and  all  uncleanness.  For  the  space  of 
two  or  three  months  after  any  person  is  interred,  the 
female  relations  go  once  a week  to  weep  over  the  grave. 
— See  Dr.  Shaw's  Travels , p.  285. 

JEWISH  SEPULCHRES. 

Mark  v.  2-5. 

u And  when  Jesus  was  come  out  of  the  ship,  imme- 
diately there  met  him  out  of  the  tombs  a man  with  an 
unclean  spirit,  who  had  his  dwelling  among  the  tombs  ; 
....  and  always,  night  and  day,  he  was  in  the  mount- 
ains, and  in  the  tombs,  crying  and  cutting  himself  with 
stones.” 

Speaking  of  the  Mount  of  Judgment,  directly  oppo- 
site Jerusalem,  Mr.  Carne  writes  : “ The  most  interest- 
ing portion  of  this  hill  is  where  its  rocks  descend  precipi- 
tously into  the  valley  of  Hinnom.  All  these  rocks  are 
hewn  into  sepulchres  of  various  forms  and  sizes.  No 


JEWISH  SEPULCHRES. 


29 


doubt  they  were  the  tombs  of  the  ancient  Jews,  and  are  in 
general  cut  with  considerable  care  and  skill.  They  are 
often  the  resting-place  of  the  benighted  passenger.  Somf 
of  them  open  into  inner  apartments,  and  are  provided 


with  small  windows  or  apertures  cut  in  the  rock.  There 
is  none  of  the  sadness  or  darkness  of  the  tomb  ; but,  in 
many,  so  elevated  and  picturesque  is  the  situation,  that  a 
traveller  may  pass  hours  here  with  a book  in  his  hand, 
while  valley  and  hill  are  beneath  and  around  him.  Be- 
fore the  door  of  one  large  sepulchre  stood  a tree  on  the 
brink  of  the  rock  : the  sun  was  going  down  on  Olivet  on 
the  right,  and  the  resting-place  of  the  dead  commanded 
a sweeter  scene  than  any  of  the  abodes  of  the  living. 
Many  of  the  tombs  have  flights  of  steps  leading  up  to 
them.” — Carrie's  Eastern  Letters , pp.  292,  293. 

Matthew  xxvii.  59,  60. 

“ And  when  Joseph  had  taken  the  body,  he  wrapped 
3* 


30 


JEWISH  SEPULCHRES. 


it  in  a clean  linen  cloth,  and  laid  it  in  his  own  new  tomb, 
which  he  had  hewn  out  in  the  rock : and  he  rolled  a great 
stone  to  the  door  of  the  sepulchre,  and  departed.” 

John  xix.  41,  42. 

“ Now  in  the  place  where  Jesus  was  crucified,  there 
was  a garden,  and  in  the  garden  a new  sepulchre  : . . . 
there  laid  they  Jesus.” 

Dr.  Clarke,  during  his -visit  to  Jerusalem,  writes 
thus  : “ Having  quitted  the  city  by  what  is  called  Sion 
Gate,  we  descended  into  a dingle  or  trench,  called  To- 

phet  or  Gehinnom As  we  reached  the  bottom  of 

this  narrow  dale,  sloping  toward  the  Yalley  of  Jehosha- 
phat,  we  observed  upon  the  sides  of  the  opposite  mount- 
ain (which  appears  to  be  the  same  called  by  Sandys  the 
Hill  of  Offence*),  facing  Mount  Sion,  a number  of  excava- 
tions in  the  rock.  We  rode  toward  them,  their  situation 
being  very  little  elevated  above  the  bottom  of  the  dingle, 
upon  its  southern  side.  When  we  arrived.  . . . alighting 
from  our  horses,  we  found  we  should  have  ample  em- 
ployment in  their  examination.  They  were  all  of  the 
same  kind  of  workmanship,  exhibiting  a series  of  subter- 
ranean chambers,  hewn  with  marvellous  art,  each  con- 
taining one  or  many  repositories  for  the  dead,  like  cisterns 
carved  in  the  rock  upon  the  sides  of  those  chambers.! 
The  doors  were  so  low,  that,  to  look  into  any  one  of 
them,  it  was  necessary  to  stoop,  and,  in  some  instances, 
to  creep  upon  our  hands  and  knees  ; these  doors  were  also 
grooved  for  the  reception  of  immense  stones,  once  squared 
and  fitted  to  the  grooves,  by  way  of  closing  the  entrances. 
Of  such  a nature  were,  indisputably,  the  tombs  of  the 
sons  of  Heth,  of  the  kings  of  Israel,  of  Lazarus,  and  of 
Christ.  The  cemeteries  of  the  ancients  were  universally 
excluded  from  the  precincts  of  their  cities The 

* The  same  as  the  Mount  of  Judgment. 

f In  the  writings  of  the  prophets  frequent  allusions  occur  to 
similar  places  of  burial : thus,  Isaiah  xiv.  15,18;  Ezekiel  xxxii , 
23,  &c. 


JEWISH  SEPULCHRES. 


31 


sepulchres  we  are  now  describing  bear,  in  their  very 
nature,  satisfactory  proof  of  their  being  situate  out  of  the 
ancient  city,  as  they  are  now  out  of  the  modern.  The 
sepulchres  themselves  are,  according  to  the  ancient  cus- 
tom, stationed  in  the  midst  of  gardens.  From  all  these 
circumstances,  are  we  not  authorized  to  look  here  for  the 
sepulchre  of  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  who,  as  a pious  Jew, 
necessarily  had  his  burying-place  in  the  cemetery  of  his 
countrymen,  among  the  graves  of  his  forefathers  ? The 
Jews  are  remarkable  for  their  rigid  adherence  to  this 
custom.  They  adorned  their  burial-places  with  trees 
and  gardens  ; and  the  tomb  of  this  Jew  is  accordingly 
described  as  being  in  4 a garden,’ 4 in  the  place  where  our 
Savior  was  crucified.’  (John  xix.  41.)  It  is,  moreover, 
worthy  of  observation,  that  everyone  of  the  Evangelists 
(and  among  them  he  that  4 saw  it,’  and  4 bear  record’) 
affirm,  that  the  place  of  crucifixion  was  4 the  place  of  a 
scull ;’  that  is  to  say,  a public  cemetery,*  4 called  in  the 
Hebrew  Golgotha,’  without  the  city,  and  very  near  to 
one  of  its  gates.  St.  Luke  calls  it  4 Calvary,’  which  has 
the  same  signification.  It  may,  therefore,  be  surmised, 
that  upon  the  opposite  summit,  now  called  Mount  Sion, 
without  the  walls,  the  crucifixion  of  the  Messiah  was 
actually  accomplished.  Perhaps  some  evidences  that  we 
obtained  may  farther  illustrate  this  most  interesting  sub- 
ject. Upon  all  the  sepulchres  at  the  base  of  this  mount 
(which,  as  4 the  place  of  a scull,’  we  have  the  authority 
of  Scripture  for  calling  either  Calvary  or  Golgotha  wheth- 
er it  be  the  place  of  crucifixion  or  not)  there  are  inscrip- 
tions in  Hebrew  and  in  Greek.  The  Hebrew  inscriptions 
are  the  most  effaced  : of  these  it  is  difficult  to  make  any 
tolerable  copy.  The  Greek  inscriptions  are  brief  and 
legible  ; they  consist  of  immense  letters,  deeply  carved 
in  the  face  of  the  rock,  either  over  the  door,  or  by  the 
side,  of  the  sepulchres 

* Not  necessarily  a public  cemetery  ; more  probably  a place  of 
execution,  as  the  best  writers  think.  Some  suppose  it  to  be  called 
the  place  of  a scull,  from  its  resemblance  to  a human  scull. 


32 


JEWISH  SEPULCHRES. 


“ Having  entered  by  the  door  of  this  sepulchre,  we 
found  a spacious  chamber  cut  in  the  rock,  connected  with 
a series  of  other  subterraneous  apartments,  and  con- 
taining an  extensive  range  of  receptacles  for  the  dead. 
Opposite  to  the  entrance,  but  lower  down  in  the  rock,  a 
second  and  a similar  aperture  led  to  another  chamber 
beyond  the  first.  When  we  had  penetrated  to  the  ex- 
tremity of  this  second  chamber,  we  could  proceed  no 
farther,  owing  to  the  rubbish  which  obstructed  our  pas- 
sage. It  was  evident  that  we  had  not  reached  the  re- 
motest part  of  these  caverns.  There  were  others  with 
similar  Greek  inscriptions,  and  one  which  particularly 
attracted  our  notice,  from  its  extraordinary  coincidence 
with  all  the  circumstances  connected  with  the  history  of 
our  Savior’s  tomb.  The  large  stone  that  once  closed  its 
mouth,  had  been,  perhaps  for  ages,  rolled  away.  Stoop- 
ing down  to  look  into  it,  we  observed  within  a fair  sep- 
ulchre, containing  a repository  upon  one  side  only,  for  a 
single  body  ; whereas,  in  most  of  the  others,  there  were 
two,  and  in  many  of  them,  more  than  two.  It  is  placed 
exactly  opposite  to  the  hill  which  is  now  called  Mount 
Sion.  As  we  viewed  this  sepulchre,  and  read  upon  the 
spot  the  description  given  of  the  coming  of  Mary  Mag- 
dalene and  the  disciples,  in  the  morning  (John  xx.),  it 
was  difficult  to  divest  the  mind  of  the  probability  that 
here  might  have  been  the  identical  tomb  of  Jesus  Christ ; 
and  that  up  the  steep  which  led  to  it,  after  descending 
from  the  gate  of  the  city,  the  disciples  strove  together, 
when  4 John  did  outrun  Peter,  and  came  first  to  the 
sepulchre’  ” (John  xx.  4). — Clarke's  Travels , vol.  iv., 
pp.  321-328. 


TEMPLE  OF  DAGON. 

Judges  xvi.  27-30. 

“ And  there  were  upon  the  roof  about  three  thousand 
men  and  women.  ....  And  Samson  took  hold  of  the 
two  middle  pillars  upon  which  the  house  stood,  and  on 


TEMPLE  OF  DAGON, 


33 


which  it  was  borne  up And  he  bowed  himself 

with  all  his  might,  and  the  house  fell.” 

“ Samson  must  have  been  in  a court  or  area  below  ; 
and  consequently  the  temple  will  be  of  the  same  kind 
with  the  ancient  sacred  enclosures,  which  were  only  sur- 
rounded either  in  part,  or  on  all  sides,  with  some  plain 
or  cloistered  buildings.  Several  palaces  ( doutwanas , as 
the  courts  of  justice  are  called  in  these  countries),  are 
built  in  this  fashion.  On  their  public  festivals  and  re- 
joicings, the  roofs  of  these  cloisters  are  crowded  with 
spectators,  while  a great  quantity  of  sand  is  strewed  upon 
the  area  for  the  wrestlers  to  fall  upon.  I have  often  seen 
numbers  of  people  diverted  in  this  manner  on  the  roof 
of  the  dey’s  palace  at  Algiers  ; which,  like  many  oth- 
ers, has  an  advanced  cloister  over  against  the  gate  of 
the  palace,  like  a long  pent-house,  supported  by  one  or 
two  contiguous  pillars  in  the  front  or  centre.  In  such 
open  structures  as  these,  in  the  midst  of  their  guards  and 
counsellors,  are  the  pachas,  kadees,  and  other  great 
officers,  assembled  to  distribute  justice,  and  transact  the 
public  affairs  of  their  provinces.  Here,  likewise,  they 
have  their  public  entertainments,  as  the  lords  and  others 
of  the  Philistines  had  in  the  house  of  Dagon.  If  in  this 
last,  there  was  a structure  of  this  kind,  the  pulling  down 
of  the  front  or  centre  pillars  only,  which  supported  it, 
would  be  attended  with  the  like  catastrophe  that  hap- 
pened to  the  Philistines.” — Dr.  Shaw ; Harmer’s  Ob- 
servations , vol.  i.,  pp.  319,  320. 

TOWER  AT  MAH  AN  AIM. 

2 Samuel  xviii.  24-33  ; xix.  8. 

“ And  David  sat  between  the  two  gates  : and  the 
watchmen  went  up  to  the  roof  over  the  gate  unto  the 
wall,  and  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  looked,  and  behold  a 

man  running  alone And  the  watchman  cried 

and  told  the  king And  the  watchman  saw  an- 

other man  running,  and  the*  watchman  called  unto  the 


34 


TOWER  AT  MAHANAIM. 


porter,  and  said,  Behold  another  man  running  alone. 

And  the  king  said,  He  also  bringeth  tidings 

And  Ahimaaz  called,  and  said  unto  the  king,  All  is 

well And,  behold,  Cushi  came And 

the  king  said  unto  Cushi,  Is  the  young  man  Absalom 
safe  ? And  Cushi  answered,  The  enemies  of  my  lord 

the  king,  be  as  that  young  man  is And  the 

king  was  much  moved,  and  went  up  to  the  chamber  over 
the  gate  and  wept : and  as  he  went,  thus  he  said,  O my 

son  Absalom  ! &c Then  the  king  arose,  and  sat 

in  the  gate.  And  they  told  unto  all  the  people,  saying, 
Behold,  the  king  doth  sit  in  the  gate  ; and  all  the  people 
came  before  the  king.” 


There  is  an  account  of  an  old  castle  at  Tunbridge,  in 
Kent,  which  may  serve  to  explain  the  way  in  which  the 


TOWER  AT  MAHANAIM. 


35 


tower  of  entrance  in  which  King  David  sat  at  Mahanaim, 
was  built. 

In  this  castle  there  is  a noble  room  over  the  gateway, 
having  two  fine  large  windows.  After  the  first  gate 
(which  is  of  enormous  size),  is  the  tower  entrance,  there 
is  a pair  of  strong  gates,  and  a few  feet  farther,  another 
pair  of  strong  gates,  and  between  these  two  pairs  of 
gates  are  two  small  doorways,  one  on  each  side,  which 
lead  to  two  rooms,  one  on  each  side  of  the  gateway.  T wo 
more  rooms  are  over  these,  and  above  them  the  grand 
state-room,  to  which  they  ascended  by  staircases,  to 
which  they  went  through  the  lower  rooms  ; and  from  the 
state-room,  staircases  led  to  the  leads,  or  open  top  of 
the  building. 

Now,  in  looking  at  the  account  given  us  in  2 Samuel 
xviii.  and  xix.  we  see  the  tower  of  entrance  into  Maha- 
naim furnished,  like  the  castle  at  Tunbridge,  with  two 
pairs  of  gates,  the  one  at  a distance  from  the  other,  the 
king  sitting  between  them,  not,  we  may  justly  believe, 
in  the  passage  itself,  so  as  to  block  up  the  way,  or  at  all 
incommode  those  who  might  be  passing,  but  in  a room 
by  the  side  of  the  way.  We  find  a watchman  on  the  top 
of  the  tower,  made,  without  doubt,  commodious  for  that 
purpose,  by  the  staircases  communicating  with  each  other 
from  the  bottom  to  the  top,  as  the  English  castle  was 
flat,  and  covered  with  lead  for  the  purpose  of  descrying 
at  a distance  those  who  were  coming,  as  well  as  wound- 
ing assailants.  We  find  the  observations  made  by  the 
watchman  were  not  communicated  by  him  immediately 
to  the  king,  but  by  the  warder  at  the  outer  gate  ; and 
that  there  was  a communication  between  this  lower  room, 
in  which  David  first  sat,  and  the  upper  room  over  the 
gateway,  for  by  that  means  he  retired  to  give  vent  to 
his  sorrow.  See  a paper  written  by  Mr.  King , in  the 
Archceologia.  Harmer's  Observations , vcd.  i.,  pp.  41 6-* 
420. 


36 


ORATORIES. 

Acts  xvi.  13. 

“ And  on  the  Sabbath  we  went  out  of  the  city  by  a 
river-side,  where  prayer  was  wont  to  be  made ” 

Acts  xxi.  5. 

“ And  we  kneeled  down  on  the  shore,  and  prayed.” 

It  was  the  custom  of  the  Jews  to  have  their  oratories, 
or  places  of  prayer,  by  the  river-side  ; and  to  such  a 
place  the  first  of  these  verses  probably  alludes.  In  the 
second,  Paul  and  his  companions  appear  simply  to  have 
kneeled  upon  the  shore  ; and  this,  as  a practice,  is  by  no 
means  uncommon  in  the  East.  “ Just  after  sunset 
(writes  a traveller  in  Egypt),  when  the  last  and  loveliest 
hues  are  cast  over  the  silent  Egyptian  scenery — or  more 
often  when  the  moon  has  spread  her  brilliant  light  on 
the  river  and  shore,  the  Turks  and  Arabs  come  to  the 
water’s  edge,  and  heedless  of  the  traveller  beside  them, 
spread  their  cloak  on  the  bank,  and  are  for  some  time 
entirely  absorbed  in  their  devotions.” — Carne's  Eastern 
Letters , pp.  127,  128. 

The  more  ordinary  posture  at  prayer  among  the  Jews 
was  standing ; but  in  their  confessions,  supplications,  and 
deprecations,  and  in  times  of  mourning  and  affliction, 
they  fell  down  upon  their  knees,  and  bowed  their  faces 
to  the  ground.  The  great  sorrow  which  affected  the 
Ephesian  elders  at  their  parting  with  St.  Paul  is  expressly 
related,  Acts  xx.  36-38.  The  Tyrian  disciples,  doubt- 
less, were  not  less  deeply  affected;  for  the  Holy  Spirit 
had  made  known  to  them  the  difficulties  and  dangers  he 
was  to  undergo  at  Jerusalem.  The  sea-shore  was 
esteemed  by  the  Jews  a place  most  pure,  and,  therefore, 
proper  to  offer  up  their  prayers  and  thanksgivings  to 
Almighty  God.  Philo  tells  us  that  the  Jews  of  Alex- 
andria, when  Flaccus,  the  governor  of  Egypt,  who  had 
been  their  great  enemy,  was  arrested  by  order  of  the 
Emperor  Caius,  not  being  able  to  assemble  at  their  syna- 


ORATORIES.  37 

gogues,  which  had  been  taken  from  them,  crowded  out 
at  the  gates  of  the  city  early  in  the  morning,  went  to  the 
neighboring  shores,  and  standing  in  a most  pure  place, 
with  one  accord  lifted  up  their  voices  in  praising  God! 
Tertullian  says,  that  the  Jews,  in  his  time,  when  they 
kept  their  great  fast,  left  their  synagogues,  and  on  every 
shore  sent  forth  their  prayers  to  Heaven.  And  in  an- 
other place, among  the  ceremonies  used  by  the  Jews,  he 
mentions  the  prayers  they  made  upon  the  shores.  And 
long  before  Tertullian’s  time  there  was  a decree  made  at 
Halicarnassus  in  favor  of  the  Jews,  which,  among  other 
privileges,  allows  them  to  say  their  prayers  near  the 
shore,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country. — Sisco* 
on  the  Acts , pp.  250-252. 


38- 


CHAPTER  III. 

Custom  of  Women  fetching  Watei — Of  offering  Water  to  trav-^ 
ellers — Water-Carriers — Manner  of  Washing  : the  Hands  ; the 
Feet — Fuel — Young  Men  and  Children  taken  to  carry  Wood — 

Utensils — Mills — Mill-stones — Kneading-Troughs — Lamps 

Waterpots — Leathern  Bottles — Horns — Divans — Beds — Seats 
— Baking— Churning — Straining  Wine — Provisions,  and  Man- 
ner of  Eating — Men  and  Women  eat  separately — Invitations — 
Feasts — Persian  Feasts — Egyptian  Feast — Repast  on  the  Sea- 
shore— Feasts  of  Tabernacles — The  Passover — Weddings — 
Jewish  Wedding — Marriage  Ceremonies — Births — Manner  of 
Announcing  them — Ceremonies  attendant  on  them — Manner  of 
carrying  Children. 


WATER  DRAWN  BY  WOMEN. 

1 Samuel  ix.  11. 

“ And  as  they  went  up  the  hill  to  the  city,  they  found 
young  maidens  going  out  to  draw  water” 

Genesis  xxiv.  11-22. 

“ And  he  made  his  camels  to  kneel  down  without  the 
city,  by  a w~ell  of  water,  at  the  time  of  the  evening,  even 
the  time  that  women  go  out  to  draw  water.  And  he 
said,  Behold,  I stand  here  by  the  well  of  water  ; and  the 
daughters  of  the  men  of  the  city  come  out  to  draw 
water.  . . . And  it  came  to  pass,  that,  behold  Rebekah 
came  out ; and  the  damsel  wras  very  fair  to  look  upon,  a; 
virgin.  . . . And  the  man  took  a golden  ear-ring  of  half 
a shekel  weight , and  two  bracelets  for  her  hands  of  ten 
shekels  weight  of  gold  ” 

It  is  the  business  of  the  women  in  the  East  to  fetch 
water ..  This  they  do  in  the  cool  of  the  mornings  and 


WATER  DRAWN  BY  WOMEN. 


39 


evenings , at  which  times  great  numbers  of  females  are 
seen  going  together  on  this  employment.  It  is  princi- 
pally the  girls  who  draw  water,  though  they  generally 
have  with  them  one  or  more  grown  persons  ; and  some- 
times the  married  women  go  out,  tying  their  sucking 
children  behind  them.  When  thus  engaged,  the  Eastern 
women  are  much  adorned ; sometimes  with  trinkets  of 
very  great  value  it  was  not,  therefore,  strange  in  the 
servant  to  put  ornaments  on  Rebecca,  when  she  came 
forth  to  draw  water. — Dr . Shaw  ; Dr.  Russell ; Sir  J. 
Chardin . 


John  iv,  7.. 

“ There  cometh  a woman  of  Samaria  to  draw  water.  * 

There  is  one  set  of  images  and  delightful  illustra- 
tions, meeting  the  eye  at  every  turn  in  India,  which  I 


40  WATER  DRAWN  BY  WOMEN. 

have  never  seen  any  person  so  insensible  as  not  to  attend 
to  with  unaffected  interest.  I allude  to  those  numerous 
every-day  customs  of  the  East  so  often  mentioned  in  the 
Scriptures,  and  with  which  our  minds  have  become  famil- 
iar from  earliest  infancy.  Before  visiting  Eastern  coun- 
tries, we  almost  fancy  that  because  the  events  related  in 
the  Bible  have  passed  away  and  become  matter  of  history, 
so  also  must  the  customs  have  disappeared  which  served 
as  familiar  illustrations  between  man  and  man,  or  between 
our  Savior  and  those  whom  it  was  the  object  of  his 
mission  to  impress  with  his  doctrine.  We  are  apt  to  be 
startled,  therefore,  when  we  find  ourselves  actually  sur- 
rounded by  scenes  almost  identical  with  those  described 
in  the  Bible.  Be  all  this  as  it  may,  I could  never  see 
a Hindoo  female  sitting  by  the  steps  of  a well  in  India, 
with  her  arm  thrown  wearily  over  the  unfilled  water-pot, 
without  thinking  of  the  beautiful  story  of  the  woman  of 
Samaria  ; the  association  being,  perhaps,  helped  by  the 
recollection  of  a picture,*  in  which  the  figures  and  the 
scenery  are  represented  quite  in  the  Eastern  style,  such 
as  I was  now  beholding  it  for  the  first  time. — Basil 
Hallos  Fragments  of  Voyages  and  Travels , vol.  iii.,  pp. 
23-25. 


HINDOO  CUSTOM  OF  OFFERING  WATER  TO 
TRAVELLERS. 

Mark  ix.  41. 

“ For  whosoever  shall  give  you  a cup  of  water  to  drink 
in  my  name,  because  ye  belong  to  Christ,  verily  I say 
unto  you,  he  shall  not  lose  his  reward.” 

In  India  the  Hindoos  go  sometimes  a great  way  to 
fetch  water,  and  then  boil  it  that  it  may  not  be  hurtful 
to  travellers  who  are  hot ; and  after  this,  stand  from 
morning  till  night  in  some  great  road  where  there  is 
neither  pit  nor  rivulet,  and  offer  it  in  honor  of  their 


The  Woman  of  Samaria ; by  an  Italian  artist. 


HINDOO  CUSTOM  OF  OFFERING  WATER, 


41 


gods  to  be  drunk  by  the  passengers.  This  necessary 
work  of  charity  in  these  hot  countries  seems  to  have 
been  practised  among  the  more  pious  and  humane  Jews  ; 
and  our  Lord  assures  them,  that  if  they  do  this  in  his 
name,  they  shall  not  lose  their  reward. — Dr.  A.  Clarke. 


WATER-CARRIERS. 

As  the  water  of  the  wells  of  Cairo  in  Egypt  is  slightly 
brackish,  numerous  “ sackckas”  (carriers  or  sellers 
of  water)  obtain  their  livelihood  by  supplying  its  inhab- 
itants with  water  from  the  Nile.  It  is  conveyed  in  skins 
by  camels  and  asses,  and  sometimes,  when  the  distance 
is  small,  by  the  “ sackcka”  himself.  The  water-skins  of 
the  camel  are  a pair  of  wide  bags  of  ox-hide  ; the  ass 
bears  a goat-skin  ; so  also  does  the  carrier,  if  he  have  no 
ass.  The  general  cry  of  the  water-carrier  is,  “ Oh  may 
God  compensate  me  /”  Whenever  this  cry  is  heard,  it 
4* 


42 


WATER-CARRIERS. 


is  known  that  a sackcka  is  passing.  There  are  also 
other  water-carriers  who  supply  passengers  in  the  streets 
with  water.  The  goat-skin  of  a sackcka  of  this  sort  has 
a long  brass  spout,  and  he  pours  the  water  into  a brass 
cup  for  any  one  who  would  drink.  There  is  a more 
numerous  class,  who  follow  the  same  occupation,  bearing 
upon  their  backs  a vessel  of  porous  gray  earth  which 
cools  the  water.  Many  of  these,  and  some  of  the  sack- 
ckas  who  carry  the  goat-skin,  are  found  at  the  scenes  of 
religious  festivals,  and  are  often  paid  by  visiters  to  the 
tomb  of  a saint,  on  such  occasions,  to  distribute  the 
water  which  they  carry  to  passengers — a cupful  to  who- 
ever desires.  This  work  of  charity  is  performed  for 
the  sake  of  the  saint.  The  carriers  thus  employed  are 
generally  allowed  to  fill  their  vessels  at  a public  fountain, 
as  they  exact  nothing  from  the  passengers  whom  they 
supply.  When  employed  to  distribute  water  to  a pas- 
senger in  the  streets,  they  generally  chant  a short  cry, 
inviting  the  thirsty  to  partake  of  the  charity  offered 
them  in  the  name  of  God , and  praying  that  paradise  and 
pardon  may  be  the  lot  of  him  who  affords  the  charitable 
gift. — See  Modern  Egyptians  by  Mr.  Lane , vol.  ii.,  pp. 
15-18. 


MANNER  OF  WASHING. 

John  xiii.  10. 

“ He  that  is  washed  needeth  not  save  to  wash  his  feet, 
but  is  clean  every  whit.” 

He  that  is  washed  all  over  already  (that  is,  by  baptism) 
needs  no  more  washing,  save  only  for  his  feet,  which  by 
daily  treading,  that  is,  conversing  on  this  earth,  become 
soiled,  and  need  continual  cleansing.  The  washing  all 
over  was  the  ceremony  of  initiation  in  use  among  the 
Jews,  and  was  never  repeated. — See  Dr.  Hammond  on 
the  place. 

During  my  residence  at  Burmah,  I was  often  reminded, 
while  sitting  in  their  houses  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening, 


MANNER  OF  WASHING'. 


43 


of  our  Savior’s  remark  in  John  xiii.  10.  The  men  hav- 
ing finished  their  labor,  bathe  and  clean  themselves  at 
the  river  or  tank  ; but  walking  up  with  wet  feet  defiles 
them  again,  so  that  they  cannot  with  propriety  come  and 
take  their  place  on  the  mat  or  bed.  Taking  up  some 
water,  therefore,  in  a cocoa-nut  dipper,  out  of  a large 
jar  which  stands  at  the  door  of  every  house,  they  easily 
rinse  their  feet,  as  they  stand  on  the  step,  and  are  “ clean 
every  whit.” — Rev . H.  MalcorrHs  Travels. 

MODE  OF  WASHING  THE  HANDS. 

2 Kings  iii.  11. 

“ Here  is  Elisha,  the  son  of  Shaphat,  which  poured 
water  on  the  hands  of  Elijah.” 

The  Oriental  mode  of  washing  is  universally  different 
to  that  practised  in  tlxe  West.  Nowhere  i&  water  pre- 


44 


WASHING  THE  HANDS. 


viously  poured  into  a basin  ; but  the  servant  pours  water 
from  a pitcher  upon  the  hands  of  his  master.  The  cus- 
tom of  washing  hands  before  dinner  prevails  also  to  this 
day.  The  servant  goes  round  to  all  the  guests,  with  a 
pitcher,  and  a vessel  to  receive  the  water  falling  from 
the  hands,  and  performs  the  office  here  attributed  to  Eli- 
sha. The  same  service  is  repeated  after  the  repast  is 
ended. — Hartley's  Researches. 

WASHING  THE  FEET. 

Luke  vii.  44. 

“ And  Jesus  said  unto  Simon,  I entered  into  thine 
house,  thou  gavest  me  no  water  for  my  feet.” 

1 Timothy  y.  10. 

“ If  she  have  lodged  strangers  ; if  she  have  washed 
the  saints’  feet.”  (See  also  Genesis  xviii.  4.) 

In  the  East,  where  only  sandals  are  worn  on  the  feet, 
and  where  the  heat  and  dust  render  walking  painful,  to 
wash  the  feet  on  entering  any  dwelling,  is  the  greatest 


WASHING  THE  FEET. 


45 


luxury ; and  consequently,  water  is  one  of  the  first 
things  presented  to  a guest.  The  following  passage  is 
from  the  journal  of  Mr.  Jowett : — 

“ October  1st. — Went  with  Mr.  Lewis  to  Dein  el 
Kamr,  which  may  be  called  the  capital  of  Mount  Leba- 
non. The  journey  took  us  nine  very  hot  and  tedious 
hours.  We  arrived  at  sunset.  We  had  a letter  to  a 
very  respectable  man  in  the  town,  and  had  an  enthu- 
siastic welcome  from  his  family.  Before  supper,  the 
master  of  the  house  directed  the  servant  to  bring  in  a 
large  brass  pan,  full  of  warm  water,  in  which,  for  the 
first,  and  indeed  the  only  time  that  I ever  experienced 
such  attention,  he  illustrated  the  ancient  custom  of  wash- 
ing the  feet  of  strangers,  and  no  compliment  could  have 
been  more  seasonable.” — Jowett’ s He  searches. 

FLOWERS  USED  AS  FUEL  IN  THE  EAST. 

Matthew  vi.  28-30. 

“ Consider  the  lilies  of  the  field,  how  they  grow  ; 
they  toil  not  neither  do  they  spin  .... 

“ Wherefore,  if  God  so  clothe  the  grass  of  the  field, 
which  to-day  is,  and  to-morrow  is  cast  into  the  oven, 
shall  he  not  much  more  clothe  you,  O ye  of  little  faith  Vr 

The  Burmans  use  very  little  fuel,  and  this  is  of  a 
light  kind,  often  the  stalks  of  flowers ; reminding  me  of 
the  remark  of  our  Savior,  in  Matt.  vi.  30. — Rev.  H.  Mai - 
corn’s  Travels  in  Southeastern  Asia. 

YOUNG  MEN  AND  CHILDREN  TAKEN  TO  CARRY 
WOOD. 

Lamentations  v.  13. 

“ They  took  the  young  men  to  grind,  and  the  children 
fell  under  the  wood.” 

Mr.  Jowett,  in  his  journal,  observes,  “ My  servant 
directed  my  attention  to  a common  circumstance,  which 


46 


CHILDREN  TAKEN  TO  CARRY  WOOD. 


aptly  enough  illustrates  a verse  of  Scripture.  It  was  & 
family  returning  from  their  work  in  the  field,  bringing 
home  wood  for  fuel.  Several  of  them  were  young  girls  ; 
the  youngest  a child  not  above  four  years  of  age,  which 
the  others  were  continually  scolding  for  not  keeping  up 
with  them,  although  it  was  manifestly  struggling  under 
a very  disproportionate  share  of  the  family  burthen. 
This  might  explain  the  latter  clause  of  the  1 3th  verse  of 
Lamentations  v.  : 1 The  children  fell  under  the  wood  !’  ” 
* — Jowett's  Researches . 

ARAB  UTENSILS. 

Mr.  Madden  thus  describes  the  furniture  of  an  Arab 
camp.  It  consists  of  few  and  simple  articles,  of  the 
same  kind  as  have  always  been  used  by  the  dwellers  in 
tents  : — *- 

“ A couple  of  copper  boilers,  two  small  grinding- 
stones,  a leather  bag  to  churn  milk  in,  some  water-skins, 
a wooden  bowl,  a goblet  or  two  of  tin  or  horn,  a mat, 
and  sometimes  a coffee-pot,  are  all  the  earthly  posses- 
sions of  a Bedouin — beside  his  cattle  and  his  firearms.” 

Madden's  Travels , voh  ii.,  p.  192. 

EASTERN  MILLS. 

Matthew  xxiv.  41. 

“Two  women  shall  be  grinding  at  the  mill,  the  one 
shall  be  taken,  and  the  other  left.” 

“ These  words  convey  scarcely  any  meaning  to  Euro- 
pean readers.  But  in  India  where  we  see  constantly 
two  female  millers,  sitting  cross-legged  on  the  ground, 
turning  by  one  handle  the  upper  of  two  small  stones,  we 
are  at  once  struck  with  the  force  of  the  illustration  used 
to  explain  the  uncertainty  which  should  prevail  at  the 
destruction  of  the  city.  It  is  difficult,  on  looking  at  two 
persons  so  engaged,  to  conceive  a situation  in  which  it 


EASTERN  MILLS. 


47 


would  be  less  easy  to  remove  the  one  without  interfering 
with  the  other  ; and  this  point  was  admirably  enforced 
by  reference  to  a custom  with  which  every  listener  in 
those  countries  must  have  been  quite  familiar.  A whole 
quarto  of  commentaries  on  the  above  verse  could  not 
have  impressed  my  mind  with  a tenth  part  of  the  con- 
viction which  flashed  upon  me  when  I first  saw  two 
women  actually  ‘ grinding  at  the  mill  all  unconscious 
of  the  cause  of  my  admiration,  and  as  yet  ignorant,  alas  ! 
of  the  sublime  lessons,  to  enforce  and  explain  which 
their  humble  task  was  referred  to.” — See  Captain  Ba- 
sil HalVs  Fragments  of  Voyages  and  Travels , vol.  iii., 
pp.  25,  26. 


MILL-STONES. 

Luke  xvii.  2. 

“It  were  better  for  him  that  a millstone  were  hanged 
about  his  neck,  and  he  cast  into  the  sea.” 


48 


MILLSTONES. 


To  one  who  connects  this  passage  with  the  idea  of 
the  large  millstones  employed  in  our  country,  there 
must  appear  something  unnatural  in  the  allusion.  To 
attach  such  a millstone  to  the  neck  would  be  to  termi- 
nate life  by  another  mode  of  death  than  by  casting  into 
the  sea.  There  is  here  an  evident  allusion  to  the  mill- 
stones employed  in  the  East,  which  are  called  hand- 
mills.  These  consist  of  an  upper  and  nether  millstone, 
both  flat  and  round,  playing  into  each  other,  and  not 
more  than  a foot  in  diameter.  The  upper  stone  is  turned 
round  by  two  persons,  one  sitting  on  one  side,  one  on 
the  other — “ two  women  grinding  at  the  mill.”  The 
corn  thus  ground  between  the  stones  escapes  in  the  form 
of  flour,  through  a hole  in  the  lower  stone.  In  order  to 
sink  a person  in  the  sea,  nothing  could  be  more  suitable 
than  to  attach  a millstone  of  this  kind  to  his  neck. — 
See  Hartley's  Researches. 

Jeremiah  xxv.  10,  11. 

“ I will  take  from  them  the  voice  of  mirth,  and  the 
voice  of  gladness,  the  voice  of  the  bridegroom,  and  the 
voice  of  the  bride,  the  sound  of  millstones,  and  the  light 
of  the  candle.  And  this  whole  land  shall  be  a desola- 
tion.” (See  Rev.  xviii.  22.) 

The  Eastern  people  grind  their  corn  at  break  of  day, 
and  those  that  grind,  sing,  so  that  the  cheerful  noise  of 
the  women  singing  is  heard  throughout  the  land.  In 
the  East,  when  no  millstones,  and  the  voices  of  those 
that  grind,  are  heard,  it  must  be  a dreary  solitude  indeed. 
This  employment  is  esteemed  the  lowest  in  the  house,, 
and  is  always  assigned  to  the  female  slaves.  (See  Exodus 
xi.  5.)  The  Hindoo  women,  those  who  are  widows, 
perform  the  task,  divested  of  every  ornament,  with  their 
heads  shaved,  and  degraded  to  almost  a state  of  servi- 
tude. “ Come  down,  and  sit  in  the  dust,  O virgin 
daughter  of  Babylon ! Sit  on  the  ground,  for  thou  shalt 
no  more  be  called  tender  and  delicate.  Take  the  mill- 
stones, and  grind  meal." — Isaiah  xlvii.  1,  2. 


MILLSTONES. 


49 


These  millstones  being  so  necessary  to  prepare  the 
daily  food  of  every  family,  the  Israelites  were  forbidden 
to  take  the  upper  or  nether  millstone  to  pledge — for  “ he 
taketh  a man’s  life  to  pledge.”  (See  Deut.  xxiv.  6.) — Sir 
John  Chardin's  MSS.  See  Harmer's  Observations , vol. 
i.,  pp.  495-499. 

KNEADING-TROUGHS. 

Exodus  xii.  34. 

“ And  the  people  took  their  dough  before  it  was 
leavened,  their  kneading-troughs  being  bound  up  in  their 
clothes  upon  their  shoulders.” 

The  Arabs  still  use  small  wooden  bowls  for  kneading 
the  unleavened  cakes  which  they  prepare  for  strangers, 
in  the  very  desert  through  which  Israel  journeyed  ; and 
nothing  could  be  more  convenient  for  them  than  such 
vessels.  Among  their  other  kitchen-furniture,  they  have 
also  a round  leather  coverlid,  which  they  lay  on  the 
ground,  and  which  serves  them  to  eat  from.  It  has  rings 
round  it,  by  which  it  is  drawn  together  with  a chain,  that 
has  a hook  to  it  to  hang  it  up  by,  either  to  the  side  of 
the  camel,  or  in  the  house.  This  draws  it  together,  and 
sometimes  they  carry  in  it  their  meal  made  into  dough, 
and  in  this  manner  they  bring  it  full  of  bread,  and,  when 
the  repast  is  over,  carry  it  away  at  once  with  all  that  is 
left. — Dr.  Shaw's  and  Dr.  Pococke's  Travels.  See  Har- 
mer , vol.  iv.,  pp.  367-369. 

LAMPS. 

Job  xxi.  17.  (xviii.  5,  6.) 

“ How  oft  is  the  candle  of  the  wicked  put  out,  and 
how  oft  cometh  their  destruction  upon  them.” 

The  having  a great  number  of  lights  is  esteemed  a 
sign  of  prosperity  and  joy  in  the  East. 

In  Egypt  they  burn  lamps  in  all  the  inhabited  apart- 
ments of  a house,  all  the  night  long ; and  the  poorest 
5 


50 


LAMPS. 


people  would  rather  retrench  part  of  their  food  than 
neglect  it.  Thus,  when  God  promised  to  give  David  a 
lamp  always  in  Jerusalem,  it  means  that  his  house  should 
never  become  desolate,  but  that  some  of  his  posterity 


should  always  be  kings  in  Zion  ; for  destruction,  and  the 
putting  out  of  their  lamps,  or  other  lights,  were  terms 
which  meant  one  and  the  same  thing.  (See  Jer.  xxv.  10, 
11.)  “ The  light  of  the  righteous  rejoiceth,  but  the  lamp 

of  the  wicked  shall  be  put  out.”  (Prov.  xiii.  9.) — Har- 
med s Observations,  vol.  i.,  pp.  386-389. 


WATERPOTS  OF  CANA. 

John  ii.  6. 

“ And  there  were  set  there  six  waterpots  of  stone,  after 
the  manner  of  the  purifying  of  the  Jews,  containing  two 
or  three  firkins  apiece.” 


WATERPOTS  OF  CANA. 


51 


<£  We  proceeded  to  Cana,”  writes  Mr.  Carne,  “ by  a 
narrow  and  rocky  path  over  the  mountains.  This  village 
contains  two  or  three  hundred  inhabitants,  and  is  pleas- 
antly situated  on  a small  eminence  in  a valley.  The 
ruins  of  the  house  are  still  shown  where  the  miracle  of 
turning  water  into  wine  was  performed.  The  same 
kind  of  stone  waterpots  are  certainly  in  use  in  the  village. 
We  saw  several  of  the  women  bearing  them  on  their 
heads  as  they  returned  from  the  well.” — Carrie's  Eastern 
Letters , p.  253. 


“ While  I was  sitting  by  the  well  of  Cana,”  writes 
Mr.  Wilson,  “ a striking  fact  occurred.  Six  females, 
having  their  faces  veiled,  came  down  to  the  well,  each 
carrying  on  her  head  a pot  for  the  purpose  of  being 
filled  with  water,  which  evinced  how  much  the  customs 
of  old  are  observed  here  at  this  day.  These  vessels  are 
formed  of  clay,  hardened  by  the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  are 
of  a globular  shape,  and  large  at  the  mouth  ; not  unlike 


52 


WATERPOTS  OF  CANA. 


the  bottles  used  in  our  country  for  holding  vitriol,  but 
not  so  large.  Many  of  them  have  handles  attached  to  the 
sides  ; and  it  was  a wonderful  coincidence  with  Scripture, 
that  the  ves-sels  appeared  to  contain  much  about  the  same 
quantity  as  those  which  the  Evangelist  informs  us  were 
employed  at  the  celebration  of  the  marriage  which  was 
honored  by  the  Savior’s  presence,  viz.,  three  firkins,  or 
about  twelve  gallons  each.” — Rae  Wilson's  Travels 

LEATHERN  BOTTLES. 

Joshua  ix.  4. 

“ Wine-bottles,  old,  and  rent,  and  bound  up.” 

The  bottles  in  which  the  Arabs  keep  liquors  are  made1 
of  goat-skins,  in  which  water,  milk,  &c.,  keep  fresher 
than  in  other  vessels.  When  the  goat  is  killed,  they  cut 
off  its  feet  and  head,  and  draw  it  in  this  manner  out  of 
the  skin.  They  afterward  sew  up  the  places  where  the 
legs- were  cut  off,  and  the  tail ; and  when  it  is  filled,  they 
tie  it  about  the  neck.  These  nations,  and  the  country 
people  of  Persia,  never  go  a journey  without  a small 
leather  bottle  of  water  hanging  by  their  side  like  a scrip. 
The  large  bottles  are  made  of  the  skins  of  goats,  the 
smaller  ones  of  those  of  kids.  (See  Gen.  xxi.  14.) 

The  tents  of  the  Arabs  are  extremely  smoky,  since 
they  make  fires  in  them  ; so  that  a traveller,  who  was 
obliged  to  pass  a night  in  a hut  of  reeds  in  the  middle 
of  which  was  a fire,  to  boil  a kettle  of  meat  that  hung 
over  it,  and  to  bake  some  bread  among  the  ashes,  speaks 
of  the  smoke  as  intolerable,  there  being  no  way  for  it  to 
escape  but  by  the  door  of  the  hut.  How  black  would  a 
goat-skin  bottle  become  in  such  a tent  as  this  ! beside 
being  also  shrivelled  and  dried  up.  The  Psalmist,  there- 
fore, when  wasted  with  sorrow,  exclaims,  “ I am  become 
like  a bottle  in  the  smoke  !”  Probably,  too,  he  meant 
thus  to  signify  his  meanness  and  degradation ; for,  after 
living  with  those  who  used  vessels  of  gold  and  silver,  in 


LEATHERN  BOTTLES. 


53 


Saul’s  palace,  he  was  obliged  to  live  as  the  wild  Arabs, 
and  to  drink  like  them  out  of  a smoked  leather  bottle. 
These  bottles,  when  rent,  were  mended  by  putting  in  a 
new  piece,  or  by  gathering  up  the  piece,  or  by  inserting 
a flat  bit  of  wood. — Harmer's  Observations , vol.  i.,  pp. 
282-287. 


HORNS. 

1 Kings  i.  39. 

“ And  Zadoc  the  priest  took  a horn  of  oil  out  of 
the  tabernacle  and  anointed  Solomon.”  (See  1 Samuel 
xvi.  13.) 

The  Eastern  people  frequently  used  horns  for  keeping 
liquors  in,  and  also  for  drinking  out  of ; and-  the  same 
custom  still  prevails  in  other  countries  where  the  arts 
are  little  known.  At  first,  the  hollow  horns  of  animals 
were  thus  used ; but,  afterward,  vessels  shaped  like  horns 
•5* 


54 


HORNS. 


were  made  of  different  metals,  and  much  ornamented 
with  precious  stones.  Horns  were  employed  for  sacred 
purposes  : that  with  which  Solomon  was  anointed  was 
kept  in  the  sanctuary.  There  is  now,  in  the  cathedral 
of  York,  a horn  presented  to  it  by  one  of  our  early 
princes  : it  has  a chain,  which  is  fastened  to  it  in  two 
places,  by  which  it  might  be  hung  up  : and  if  the  horns 
in  the  East  were  thus  furnished,  perhaps  Isaiah  alludes 
to  them  among  other  things,  when  he  speaks  of  drinking- 
vessels  being  hung  up.  (Isai.  xxii.  24.) — See  Harmer's 
Observations,  vol.  ii.,  pp.  134,  135. 

DIVANS. 

Esther  vii.  8. 

“ Hainan  wasfallenupon  the  bed  whereon  Esther  was.’* 
Amos  iii.  12. 

“ Thus  saith  the  Lord,  As  the  shepherd  taketh  out  of 
the  mouth  of  the  lion  two  legs,  or  a piece  of  an  ear,  so 
shall  the  children  of  Israel  be  taken  out  that  dwell  in 
Samaria  in  the  corner  of  a bed,  and  in  Damascus  in  a 
couch.” 

A divan  is  a part  of  a room  raised  above  the  floor, 
spread  well  with  a carpet  in  winter,  and  in  the  summer 
with  mats : along  the  sides  are  thick  mattresses,  covered 
with  scarlet  cloth,  and  large  bolsters  are  set  against  the 
walls  to  lean  on.  Upon  these  divans,  which  are  large, 
and  with  which  all  their  rooms  are  furnished,  they  sit, 
eat,  and  sleep.  (See  1 Samuel  xxviii.  23  ; Amos  vi.  4 ; 
Esther  i.  6,  vii.  8.)  The  corner  of  these  is  the  most 
honorable  place,  in  which  all  great  persons  sit.  These 
divans  are  the  same  with  what  are  translated  beds  in 
several  passages  of  Scripture.  In  the  corner  of  one  of 
them  Queen  Esther  was  seated  ; and  when  Hainan  rose 
to  go  up  to  her  to  beg  for  his  life,  he  could  not  reach 
her  to  kiss  the  hem  of  her  robe,  or  perform  any  other 
act  of  submission,  without  going  upon  the  divan,  which 


DIVANS. 


55 


accordingly  he  did,  and  which  a traveller  mentions  hav- 
ing seen  persons  do. 

, The  prophet  Amos,  in  the  verse  quoted  above,  seems 
to  allude  to  the  circumstance  of  the  corner  being  the 
honorable  place  ; and  the  couch  may  mean  the  mattress 
placed  upon  it,  covered,  perhaps,  with  damask,  from 
Damascus. 

The  words  of  Amos  may  be  understood  as  meaning, 
that  as  a shepherd  saves  a small  portion  of  a sheep,  or  a 
goat,  out  of  the  jaws  of  a lion  ; so,  though  the  rest  of  the 
country  shall  be  miserably  destroyed,  they  shall  escape 
that  sit  (or  dwell)  in  Samaria,  the  royal  city,  in  the 
corner  of  the  divan,  on  the  damask  mattress. 

The  stately  bed  on  which  Aholibah  is  represented  as 
sitting  (Ezek.  xxiii.  41),  seems  to  mean  the  floor  of  an 
idol  temple  : for  on  the  floors  of  such  places  (Amos 
ii.  8),  they  used  to  lie  down  on  clothes  or  carpets,  and 
the  going  up  to  them  by  steps,  made  them  very  like  the 
Eastern  divans. — See  Harmer's  Observations , vol.  ii., 
pp.  356-360. 

EASTERN  BEDS. 

Mark  ii.  11. 

“ Arise ! and  take  up  thy  bed,  and  go  thy  way  into 
thine  house.” 

On  the  morning  after  my  arrival  at  Bombay,  I got  up 
with  the  first  blush  of  the  dawn,  and  hastily  drawing  on 
my  clothes,  proceeded  alone  greedily  in  search  of  adven- 
tures. I had  not  gone  far  before  I saw  a native  sleeping 
on  a mat  spread  in  the  little  verandah  extending  along 
the  front  of  his  house,  which  was  made  of  basket  work 
plastered  over  with  mud.  He  was  wrapped  up  in  a long 
web  of  white  linen,  or  white  cotton  cloth,  called,  I think, 
his  cummerbund,  or  waist-cloth.  As  soon  as  the  first 
rays  of  the  sun  peeped  into  his  rude  sleeping-chamber, 
he  “ arose,  took  up  his  bed,  and  went  into  his  house.” 
I saw  immediately  an  explanation  of  this  expression, 
which,  with  slight  variations,  occurs  frequently  in  the 


56 


EASTERN  BEDS. 


Bible,  in  connexion  with  several  of  the  most  striking  and 
impressive  of  Christ’s  miracles,  particularly  with  that  of 
the  man  sick  of  the  palsy.  My  friend  the  Hindoo  got 
on  his  feet,  cast  the  long  folds  of  his  wrapper  over  his 


shoulder,  stooped  down,  and  having  rolled  up  his  mat, 
which  was  all  the  bed  he  required,  he  walked  into  the 
house  with  it,  and  then  proceeded  to  the  nearest  tank  to 
perform  his  morning  ablutions. — Capt.  Basil  HalVs 
Fragments  of  Voyages  and  Travels,  vol.  iii.,  pp.  26,  27. 

STONES  USED  AS  SEATS  AT  FEASTS,  Etc. 

Genesis  xxxi.  46. 

“ And  Jacob  said  unto  his  brethren,  Gather  stones  ; 
and  they  took  stones,  and  made  a heap ; and  they  did 
eat  there  upon  the  heap.” 

A traveller  visiting  an  Arabian  prince  relates,  the 
following  occurrences  : “ I had  gone  from  my  lodgings 


STONES  USED  AS  SEATS  AT  FEASTS,  ETC.  57 

indisposed,  and  by  standing  so  long,  found  myself  so 
faint,  that  I was  obliged  to  quit  the  room.  I found 
near  the  door  some  of  the  principal  officers  of  the  court, 
who  were  sitting  upon  stones,  in  a scattered  way,  in  the 
shade.  Among  them  was  the  master  of  the  house,  with 
whom  I had  some  acquaintance  before.  He  immediately 
gave  me  his  place,  and  applied  himself  to  draw  together 
stones  into  a heap,  to  build  himself  a new  seat.” 

Many  countries  furnish  stones  so  flat  as  not  to  be  un- 
easy ; and  they  are  used  in  the  East  in  preference  to  sit- 
ting on  the  ground,  on  account  of  the  burning  sands,  or 
(as  in  Jacob’s  case  probably)  on  account  of  the  damp- 
ness of  the  earth.  The  heap  upon  which  Jacob  and  his 
brethren  ate  their  feast  of  reconciliation,  was  meant 
to  be  a memorial  of  their  renewed  friendship  ; and  to 
this  day,  heaps  of  stones  which  have  been  used  for  me- 
morials, are  found  in  these  countries,  as  well  as  some 
intended  for  sea-marks.  There  is  one  heap  on  a rock 
in  the  Red  sea,  placed  there  to  warn  sailors  of  the 
danger  of  the  place. — Niebuhr's  Travels ; Harmer's  Ob- 
servations, vol.  ii.,  pp.  36-38. 

BAKING. 

Genesis  xviii.  6. 

“ And  Abraham  hastened  into  the  tent  unto  Sarah, 
and  said,  Make  ready  quickly  three  measures  of  fine 
meal,  knead  it,  and  make  cakes  upon  the  hearth.” 
Leviticus  ii.  4-7. 

“ And  if  thou  bring  an  oblation  of  a meat-offering 
baken  in  the  oven  [or  a meat-offering  of  the  oven],  it 
shall  be  an  unleavened  cake  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil, 
or  unleavened  wafers  anointed  with  oil.  And  if  thy 
oblation  be  a meat-offering  baken  in  a pan  [or  plate],  it 
shall  be  of  fine  flour,  unleavened,  mingled  with  oil.  . . 
....  And  if  thy  oblation  be  a meat-offering  baken  in 
the  frying  pan,  it  shall  be  made  of  fine  flour  with  oil.” 

The  Eastern  people  still  make  bread  upon  the  hearth. 
When  it  is  ready  for  baking,  they  sweep  a comer  of  the 


58 


BAKING. 


hearth,  lay  the  bread  there,  cover  it  with  hot  ashes  and 
embers,  and  turn  it  in  a quarter  of  an  hour.  This  mode 
of  baking  is  in  use  among  the  Arabs,  and  is  frequently 
mentioned  by  travellers,  the  bread  or  cakes  being  very 
good.  The  oven  mentioned  in  Levit.  ii.  4,  is  probably  of 
the  same  kind  used  by  the  Arabs  for  making  their  best 
sort  of  bread.  “ They  make,”  says  D’Arvieux,  “ a fire 
in  a great  stone  pitcher , and  when  heated,  mix  meal  and 
water,  which  they  apply  with  the  hollow  of  their  hands 
to  the  outside,  and  this  soft  paste  spreading  itself  upon 
it,  is  baked  in  an  instant,  and  the  bread  comes  off  as  thin 
as  our  wafers .”  Another  way  of  baking,  which  is  a very 
easy  one,  the  bread  being  as  thin  as  a skin,  and  soon 
prepared,  is  on  a copper  or  iron  plate,  the  same  as  the 
pan  or  plate  mentioned  in  Levit.  ii.  5.  And  a fourth 
way  is  laying  the  bread  in  a shallow  earthen  vessel, 
like  a frying-pan,  and  which  serves  for  frying  as  well  as 
baking.  This  is  called  a tajen,  and  is  most  likely  the 
same  with  the  frying-pan  spoken  of  in  Levit.  ii.  7. 

These  modes  of  baking  being  common  among  those 
who  live  in  tents,  as  the  Israelites  did,  it  is  very  likely 
that  the  latter  prepared  the  meat-offerings  in  their  own 
tent's,  and  then  brought  them  to  present  them  to  the  Lord. 
— See  Harmer’s  Observations , vol.  i.,  pp.  476-481. 

CHURNING. 

Job  xxix.  6. 

“ I washed  my  steps  with  butter.” 

In  churning,  when  large  quantities  of  butter  are  need- 
ed, it  is  not  unusual  for  men  to  tread  on  skins  of  cream, 
in  order  to  separate  the  butter  from  its  more  watery  part, 
with  expedition. 

We  are  told  that  the  priests  at  Magnesia  anoint  their 
feet  with  fresh  butter ; and  that  the  king  of  Abyssinia 
anoints  his  head  with  it  daily. 

The  Arabs  churn  in  leathern  bottles.  Jael  opened  a 
bottle  of  milk  for  Sisera  (Jud.  iv.  19),  having  probably 


CHURNING. 


59 


just  churned,  she  poured  out  the  contents  of  her  bottle 
into  one  of  the  best  dishes  she  had,  and  gave  it  to  her 
guest. — Dr.  Chandler’s  Travels  ; Harmer’s  Observations ; 
Burder’s  Oriental  Customs . 

STRAINING  WINE. 

Matthew  xxiii.  24. 

“ Which  strain  at  a gnat,  and  swallow  a camel.” 

This  clause  should  be  translated,  “ Strain  out  the  gnat 
and  swallow  greedily  the  camel.”  In  the  East,  gnats  are 
very  apt  to  fall  into  wine,  if  it  be  not  carefully  covered  ; 
and  passing  the  liquor  through  a strainer , that  no  gnat, 
or  part  of  one,  might  remain,  became  a proverb,  for  ex- 
actness about  little  matters. 

The  proverb  would  be  very  striking  to  a Jewish  ear, 
as  the  camel  was  the  largest  animal  with  which  they 
were  familiar. 

PROVISIONS,  AND  MANNER  OF  EATING. 

Matthew  xxvi.  23. 

“He  that  dippeth  his  hand  with  me  in  the  dish,  the 
same  shall  betray  me.” 

John  xiii.  25-27. 

“He  then,  lying  on  Jesus’s  breast,  saith  unto  him, 
Lord,  who  is  it  ? Jesus  answered,  He  it  is  to  whom  I 
shall  give  a sop,  when  I have  dipped  it.  And  when  he 
had  dipped  it,  he  gave  it  to  Judas  Iscariot,  the  son  of 
Simon.” 

To  witness  the  daily  family  habits,  in  the  house  in 
which  I lived  at  Deir  el  Kamr  (a  town  on  Mount  Leba- 
non), forcibly  reminded  me  of  Scripture  scenes.  The 
absence  of  the  females  at  our  meals  has  been  already 
noticed.  There  is  another  custom,  by  no  means  agree- 
able to  a European,  to  which,  however,  that  I might 
not  seem  unfriendly,  I would  willingly  have  endeavored 
to  submit,  but  it  was  impossible  to  learn  it  in  the  short 
space  of  a twenty  days’ visit.  There  are  set  on  the  table, 


eo 


PROVISIONS,  AND 


in  the  evening,  two  or  three  messes  of  stewed  meat, 
vegetables,  and  sour  milk.  To  me,  the  privilege  of  a 
knife  and  spoon,  and  plate,  was  granted ; but  the  rest 
all  helped  themselves  immediately  from  the  dish — in 
which  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  to  see  the  hands  of 
more  than  five  Arabs  at  one  time.  Their  bread,  which 
is  extremely  thin,  tearing  and  folding  up  like  a sheet  of 


paper,  is  used  for  the  purpose  of  rolling  together  a large 
mouthful,  or  sopping  up  the  fluid  and  vegetables.  When 
the  master  of  the  house  found  in  the  dish  any  dainty 
morsel,  he  took  it  out  and  applied  it  to  my  mouth.  This 
was  true  Syrian  courtesy  and  hospitality ; and,  had  I 
been  sufficiently  well  bred,  my  mouth  would  have  opened 
to  receive  it.  On  my  pointing  to  the  plate,  however,  he 
had  the  goodness  to  deposite  the  choice  morsel  there. 
I would  not  have  noticed  so  trivial  a circumstance,  if  it 
did  not  exactly  illustrate  what  the  Evangelist  records  of 
the  Last  Supper  : “ He  that  dippeth  his  hand  with  me 


MANNER  OF  EATING. 


61 


in  the  dish,  the  same  shall  betray  me.”  From  this  it 
may  be  inferred  that  Judas  sat  near  to  our  Lord — per 
haps  on  one  side  next  to  him.  St.  John,  who  was  leaning 
on  Jesus’  bosom,  describes  the  fact,  with  an  additional 
circumstance — upon  his  asking  “ Lord,  who  is  it  ?” 
Jesus  answered,  “ He  it  is,  to  whom  I shall  give  a sop, 
when  I have  dipped  it.”  And  when  he  had  dipped  the 
sop,  he  gave  it  to  Judas  Iscariot,  the  son  of  Simon. 
And  after  the  sop,  Satan  entered  into  him. — Jowetfs 
CJuistian  Researches. 

The  Egyptians  are  very  hospitable  in  inviting  stran- 
gers to  eat  with  them.  The  tray,  if  the  party  be  numer- 
ous, is  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  they  sit 
round  it  with  one  knee  on  the  ground,  and  the  other 
(the  right)  raised  ; and,  in  this  manner,  as  many  as 
twelve  may  sit  around  a tray  three  feet  wide.  Each 
person  tucks  up  the  hanging  end  of  his  sleeve.  Before 
he  begins  to  eat,  he  says,  “ In  the  name  of  God.’v* 
This  is  said  in  a low,  but  audible  voice,  by  the  master 
of  the  house  first ; and  is  both  a grace  and  an  invi- 
tation to  partake  of  the  meal.  The  master  of  the 
house  first  begins  to  eat,  and  the  guests  follow  his 
example.  Neither  knives  nor  forks  are  used,  but  the 
thumb  and  two  fingers  of  the  right  hand  serve  instead  ; 
but  spoons  are  served  for  soup  or  rice,  and  both  hands 
may  be  used  in  particular  cases.  When  there  are  se  veral 
dishes  upon  the  tray,  each  person  takes  of  any  that  he 
likes,  or  of  every  one  in  succession  ; when  only  one  dish 
is  placed  on  the  tray  at  a time,  each  takes  from  it  a few 
mouthfuls,  and  it  is  quickly  removed  to  make  place  for 
another.  (Matt.  xxvi.  23.)  To  pick  out  a delicate  morsel, 
and  hand  it  to  a friend,  is  esteemed  polite.  This  manner 
of  eating  with  the  fingers  is  more  delicate  than  may  be 
imagined  by  those  who  have  not  witnessed  it.  Each 
person  breaks  off  a small  piece  of  bread,  dips  it  in  the 
dish,  and  then  conveys  it  to  his  mouth,  together  with  a 

* In  allusion  to  a similar  custom,  St.  Paul  may  have  exhorted 
Christians  to  do  all  things  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 

6 


62  PROVISIONS,  AND  MANNER  OF  EATING. 

small  portion  of  the  meat,  or  other  contents  of  the  dish ; 
or  he  merely  sops  his  morsel  of  bread  in  the  dish.  (See 
Ruth  ii.  14  ; John  xiii.  26.)  The  piece  of  bread  is  gen- 
erally doubled  together,  so  as  to  enclose  the  morsel  of 
meat,  &c.,  and  only  the  thumb  and  the  first  and  second 
fingers  are  commonly  used. — Lane’s  Modern  Egyptians , 
vol.  L,  pp.  177-179. 

MEN  AND  WOMEN  EAT  SEPARATELY  IN  THE  EAST. 

Genesis  xviii.  6-10. 

“ And  Abraham  hastened  into  the  tent  unto  Sarah, 
and  said,  Make  ready  quickly  three  measures  of  fine 
meal,  knead  it,  and  make  cakes  on  the  hearth.  . . . And 
he  took  butter  and  milk,  and  the  calf  which  he  had 
dressed,  and  set  it  before  them.  . . . And  they  said  unto 
him,  Where  is  Sarah  thy  Wife  ? And  he  said,  Behold 
in  the  tent.  And  Sarah  heard  it  in  the  tent-door,  which 
was  behind  him.” 

Genesis  xxvii.  14-18. 

“ And  he  went,  and  fetched,  and  brought  them”  [the 
kids]  “ to  his  mother : and  his  mother  made  savory 

meat And  she  gave  the  savory  meat,  and  the 

bread  which  she  had  prepared,  into  the  hands  of  her  son 
Jacob,  and  he  came  to  his  father.” 

When  we  had  finished  our  meals,  in  the  family  in 
which  I resided  at  Deir  el  Kamr,  and  were  risen,  the 
mother,  daughter,  and  daughter-in-law,  who  had  been 
waiting  at  the  door,  came  in,  and  partook  of  what 
remained.  Thus  it  is  in  Syria,  and  thus  it  has  been, 
probably,  ever  since  Abraham,  a Syrian  ready  to  perish, 
traversed  these  regions,  dwelling  in  tents  ; when  Sarah, 
having  prepared  an  entertainment  for  three  divine  stran- 
gers, did  not  present  it,  that  being  Abraham’s  office,  but 
stood  at  the  tent-door  which  wras  behind  him.  So  Re- 
bekah  prepared  a repast  for  her  husband,  and  sent  it  in  by 
the  hand  of  Jacob. — Jewett's  researches  in  Syria . fyc. 


63 


INVITATIONS. 

Proverbs  ix.  2-5. 

“ Wisdom  hath  killed  her  beasts  ; she  hath  mingled 
her  wine  ; she  hath  also  furnished  her  table.  She  hath 
sent  forth  her  maidens  : she  crieth  upon  the  highest  places 
of  the  city , Whoso  is  simple  let  him  turn  in  hither  : as 
for  him  that  wanteth  understanding,  she  saith  to  him, 
Come,  eat  of  my  bread,  and  drink  of  the  wine  which  I 
have  mingled.” 

There  was  an  ancient  Eastern  custom  of  sending 
invitations  to  feasts  by  females,  who  delivered  them 
publicly.  This  singular  custom  was  witnessed  by  a 
traveller  in  Egypt,  who  gives  the  following  account  of 
it.  He  says,  he  saw  a number  of  women , who  went 
about  inviting  people  to  a banquet,  in  a curious  and, 
without  doubt,  very  ancient  manner.  They  were  about 
ten  or  twelve,  covered  with  black  veils,  as  is  customary 
in  that  country.  Four  eunuchs  walked  before  them; 
after  them,  and  beside  them,  were  Moors  with  walking- 
staves.  As  they  went  along,  they  all  joined  in  making 
a noise , the  sound  of  which  was  so  peculiar,  that  no 
idea  could  be  given  of  it  to  those  who  had  never  heard 
it.  It  was  shrill,  but  had  a particular  quavering,  which 
had  been  learned  by  long  practice.  This  story  illustrates 
the  meaning  of  Solomon,  when  he  says,  “ She  hath  sent 
forth  her  maidens , she  crieth  upon  the  highest  places  of 
the  city .” — Hasselquist : Harmer's  Observations , voi.  ii., 
pp.  15,  16. 


Zechariah  iii.  10. 

“ In  that  day,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  shall  ye  call 
every  man  his  neighbor,  under  the  vine  and  under  the 
fig-tree 

The  Eastern  people  frequently  form  parties  of  pleas- 
ure, and  repose  under  the  trees  in  warm  weather,  eating 
and  drinking  there  ; and  they  also  invite  passengers  to 
partake  with  them  in  their  repast.  Thus,  Dr.  Chandler, 


64 


INVITATIONS. 


in  his  Travels , tells  us  that  a Greek  at  Philadelphia  sent 
them  a small  earthern  vessel  full  of  choice  wine ; and  that 
some  families,  who  were  sitting  beneath  some  trees , in- 
vited them  to  alight,  and  'partake  of  their  refreshments. 

The  taking  their  repasts  thus  in  public  expressed  safety 
and  pleasure  ; and  the  calling  to  passengers  to  partake 
with  them,  a spirit  of  friendliness  and  generosity.  A 
state  very  contrary  to  that  in  which  Israel  had  some 
little  time  before  found  themselves  ; “ Son  of  man,” 
said  God  to  Ezekiel,  “ I will  break  the  staff  of  bread  in 
Jerusalem  ; and  they  shall  eat  bread  by  weight,  and  with 
care,  and  they  shall  drink  water  by  measure,  and  with 
astonishment.  They  shall  eat  their  bread  with  careful- 
ness, and  drink  their  water  with  astonishment,  that  her 
land  may  be  desolate  from  all  that  is  therein,  because  of 
the  violence  of  all  them  that  dwell  therein.”  (Ezek.  iv. 
16,  17  ; xii.  18,  19.) — Chandler's  Travels  in  Asia  Minor ; 
Harmer's  Observations , vol.  ii.,  pp.  24-26. 

PERSIAN  FEASTS. 

Luke  xiv.  7-12. 

“ And  he  put  forth  a parable  to  those  which  were 
bidden,  when  he  marked  how  they  chose  out  the  chief 
rooms  [places  at  table]  ; saying  unto  them,  When  thou 
art  bidden  of  any  man  to  a wedding,  sit  not  down  in  the 
highest  room,  lest  a more  honorable  man  than  thou  be 
bidden  of  him  ; and  he  that  bade  him  and  thee  come  and 
say  to  thee,  Give  this  man  place  ; and  thou  begin  with 
shame  to  take  the  lowest  room.  But  when  thou  art 
bidden,  go  and  sit  down  in  the  lowest  room  ; that  when 
he  that  bade  thee  cometh,  he  may  say  unto  thee,  Friend, 
go  up  higher  ; then  shalt  thou  have  worship  in  the  pres- 
ence of  them  that  sit  at  meat  with  thee.  For  whosoever 
exalteth  himself  shall  be  abased ; and  he  that  humbleth 
himself  shall  be  exalted.” 

When  Mr.  Morier  was  in  Persia,  himself  and  his 
friends  were  invited  to  an  entertainment  by  one  of  the 


PERSIAN  FEAST. 


65 


chief  men  of  the  state.  He  writes,  “ On  the  day  ap- 
pointed, as  is  usual  in  Persia,  a messenger  came  to  us 
about  five  o’clock  in  the  evening  to  bid  us  to  the  feast. 
I might  make  use  of  scriptural  language  to  commence 
my  narration : ‘ A certain  man  made  a great  supper, 
and  bade  many  : and  sent  his  servant  at  supper-time  to 
say  to  them  that  were  bidden,  Come  ; for  all  things  are 
now  ready.’  (Luke  xiv.  16,  17.)  The  difficulty  which 
infidels  have  made  to  the  passage,  of  which  this  is  the 
commencement,  arises  from  the  apparent  harshness  of 
asking  people  to  an  entertainment,  and  giving  them  no 
option, — by  punishing  them,  in  fact,  for  their  refusal. 
Whereas  all  the  guests  to  whom,  when  the  supper  was 
ready,  the  servant  was  sent,  had  already  accepted  the 
invitation,  and  were,  therefore,  already  pledged  to  appear 
at  the  feast,  at  the  hour  when  they  might  be  summoned. 
They  were  not  taken  unprepared,  and  could  not,  in  con- 
sistency or  decency,  plead  any  prior  engagement.  On 
alighting  at  the  house,  we  were  conducted  through  mean 
and  obscure  passages  to  a small  square  court,  surrounded 
by  apartments,  which  were  the  habitation  of  the  women, 
who  had  been  dislodged  on  the  occasion  ; and  as  we 
entered  into  a low  room,  we  there  found  our  host  waiting 
for  us,  with  about  a dozen  more  of  his  friends.  The 
ambassador  (from  England,  whom  Mr.  Morier  accom- 
panied) was  placed  in  the  corner  of  honor,*  near  the 
window,  and  the  host  next  to  him,  on  his  left  hand.  The 
other  guests  were  arranged  around  the  room,  according 
to  their  respective  ranks  ; among  whom  was  an  old 
man,  a descendant  of  one  of  the  ancient  royal  families 
of  Persia,  who  took  his  seat  next  to  the  host.  Although 
needy,  and  without  power,  he  is  always  treated  with  the 
greatest  respect.  (See  2 Sam.  ix.  1-7.)  He  receives  a 
daily  allowance  from  the  king,  which  makes  his  case 
resemble  that  of  Jehoiachim,  ‘ for  his  allowance  was  a 
continual  allowance  given  him  of  the  king,  a daily  rate, 
....  all  the  days  of  his  life.’  (2  Kings  xxv.  30.)  This 
* See  page  52. 

6* 


66 


PERSIAN  FEAST. 


treatment  is  in  the  true  spirit  of  Eastern  hospitality. 
Giving  to  this  person  a high  rank  in  society  is  illustra- 
tive of  the  precedence  given  to  Jehoiachim,  by  setting 
‘ his  throne  above  the  throne  of  the  kings  that  were  with 
him  in  Babylon’  (2  xxv.  28).” 

When  a Persian  enters  an  assembly,  after  having  left 
his  shoes  without,  he  makes  the  usual  salutation  of 
“ Peace  be  unto  you,”  which  is  addressed  to  the  whole 
assembly,  as  it  were  saluting  the  house  (Matt.  x.  12) ; 
and  then  measuring  with  his  eye  the  degree  of  rank  to 
which  he  holds  himself  entitled,  he  straightway  wedges 
himself  into  the  line  of  guests,  without  offering  any 
apology  for  the  general  disturbance  which  he  produces. 
It  may  be  conceived  that,  among  a vain  people,  the  dis- 
putes which  arise  on  matters  of  precedence  are  numer- 
ous ; and  it  was  easy  to  observe,  by  the  countenances  of 
those  present,  when  any  one  had  taken  a higher  seat 
than  that  to  which  he  was  entitled.  The  Persian  scribes 
are  remarkable  for  their  arrogance  in  this  respect ; and 
they  will  bring  to  mind  the  caution  that  our  Savior  gave  to 
the  Jews  against  their  scribes,  whom  among  other  things 
he  characterizes  as  loving  “ the  uppermost  rooms  at 
feasts.”  (Mark  xii.  39.)  The  master  of  the  entertainment 
has,  however,  the  privilege  of  placing  any  one  as  high  in 
the  ranks  of  the  assembly  as  he  may  choose,  and  we  saw 
an  instance  of  it  on  this  occasion  ; for,  when  the  assem- 
bly was  nearly  full,  the  governor  of  Kashan,  a man  of 
humble  mien  though  of  considerable  rank,  came  in,  and 
had  seated  himself  at  the  lowest  place,  when  the  host, 
after  having  testified  his  particular  attentions  to  him  by 
numerous  expressions  of  welcome,  pointed  with  his  hand 
to  an  upper  seat  in  the  assembly,  to  which  he  desired 
him  to  move,  which  he  accordingly  did.  What  a strong 
analogy  is  here  between  the  manners  of  the  Jews  and 
those  of  the  Persians  ! (See  Luke  xiv.) — Morier's  Sec- 
ond Journey  through  Persia , pp.  142-144. 


PERSIAN  FEAST. 


67 


Isaiah  v.  11. 

i4  Wo  unto  them  that  rise  up  early  in  the  morning, 
that  they  may  follow  strong  drink  ; that  continue  until 
night,  till  wine  inflame  them.” 

“ On  the  15th  of  April,  1813,”  says  Morier,  44  return- 
ing from  a morning  ride,  about  seven  o’clock,  I saw,  at 
about  forty  yards  from  the  road-side,  a party  of  well- 
dressed  Persians  seated  on  a carpet  close  to  a rising 
ground  in  the  plain,  with  a*  small  stream  of  water,  near 
a field  of  rising  corn,  flowing  before  them,  and  surrounded 
by  their  servants  and  horses.  As  I passed,  they  sent  a 
lad  to  me  with  a message  to  the  following  purpose  : 4 The 
khan  sends  his  compliments,  says,  be  happy  and  requests 
you  will  join  his  party.’  At  the  same  time  the  whole 
company  halloed  out  to  me  as  loud  as  they  could,  4 Be 
happy,  be  happy  !’  I afterward  learned  that  this  party 
was  given  by  a yuzbashee,  or  a colonel  of  the  king’s 
troops,  and  that  they  were  in  the  height  of  enjoyment 
when  I passed,  for  they  were  ail  apparently  much  intoxi- 
cated. We  one  day  met  a party  in  one  of  the  king’s 
pleasure-houses  nearly  under  similar  circumstances;  and 
we  found  that  the  Persians,  when  they  commit  a debauch, 
arise  betimes,  and  esteem  the  morning  as  the  best  time 
for  beginning  to  drink  wine,  by  which  means  they  carry 
on  their  excess  until  night.  This  contrast  with  our  own 
manners  will,  perhaps,  give  fresh  force  to  the  passage  in 
Isaiah  v.  11,  4 Wo  unto  them,’  &c.” — Morier' s Second 
Journey , p.  189. 

EGYPTIAN  FEASTS. 

Luke  xiv.  13. 

44  When  thou  makest  a feast,  call  the  poor,  the 
maimed,  the  lame,  the  blind.” 

Pococke  speaks  of  the  admission  of  the  poor  to  the 
tables  of  the  rich.  Speaking  of  an  Egyptian  entertain- 
ment, he  says : 44  The  custom  was  for  every  one,  when 
he  had  done,  to  get  up,  wash  his  hands,  take  a draught 


68 


EGYPTIAN  FEASTS. 


of  water,  and  so  in  a continued  succession  till  the  poor 
came  in,  and  ate  up  all : for  the  Arabs  never  set  any- 
thing by  which  is  brought  to  table.  When  they  kill  a 
sheep  they  dress  it,  and  call  in  their  neighbors  and  the 
poor,  and  finish  everything.” — Pococke’s  Travels ; see 
HarmePs  Observations , vol.  ii.,  p.  416. 

REPASTS  ON  THE  SEASHORE. 

John  xxi.  3-13. 

“ They  went  forth,  and  entered  into  a ship.  . . When 
the  morning  was  now  come , Jesus  stood  on  the  shore 
. . . (and)  saith  unto  them,  Children,  have  ye  any  meat  ? 
They  answered  him,  No.  And  he  said  unto  them,  Cast 
the  net  on  the  right  side  of  the  ship,  and  ye  shall  find. 
....  As  soon  as  they  were  come  to  land , they  saw  a fire 
of  coals  there , and  fish  laid  thereon , and  bread.  Jesus 
saith  unto  them,  Bring  of  the  fish  which  ye  have  now 

caught Jesus  saith  unto  them,  Come  and  dine. 

. . . . (He)  cometh,  and  taketh  bread,  and  giveth  them, 
and  fish  likewise.” 

The  Greeks  and  Syrians,  and  those  who  dwell  in. 
Syria,  whether  Turks,  Moors,  or  Arabs,  are  wont , not 
unfrequently , to  eat  a repast  on  the  seashore ; and  when 
the  Eastern  fishermen  are  disposed  to  eat,  they  do  not 
generally  (as  those  of  the  same  class  among  ourselves 
do)  dress  their  fish  on  board  their  vessels,  but  are  wont 
to  land , and  eat  it  on  shore , and  that  early , as  well  as 
late  in  the  day.  These  circumstances  are  confirmed  by 
the  following  story  of  what  happened  to  a traveller, 
named  Doubdan,  during  a short  voyage  from  St.  Jean 
d’Acre  to  Sidon.  The  narrative  is  given  by  himself ; 
and  it  throws  much  light  upon  the  history  which  St. 
John  gives  us  of  the  interview  between  our  Lord  and 
his  disciples  on  the  shore  of  the  sea  of  Galilee. 

The  substance  of  Doubdan’s  account  is  this  : “ He  and 
his  companions  hired  a fishing-boat  to  take  them  to  Sidon, 
but  through  the  insolence  of  the  seamen,  who  would 


REPASTS  ON  THE  SEASHORE. 


69 


not  row,  they  got  no  farther  than  Tyre  that  night.  In 
the  morning,  finding  themselves  at  the  mercy  of  four  or 
five  fishermen,  who  did  nothing  but  cast  their  nets  into 
the  sea,  they  employed  a poor  Jew,  who  was  with  them 
in  the  boat,  and  who  could  speak  a little  of  the  language 
used  by  the  fishermen,  to  call  upon  them  to  push  for- 
ward to  Sidon.  But  they  only  cast  their  nets  into  the 
sea,  to  'procure  themselves  a dinner.  Then  they  landed  to 
dress  and  eat  their  fish , after  which  they  slept  for  more 
than  two  hours,  while  Doubdan  and  his  friends  were 
broiling  with  the  scorching  sun  and  heated  rocks.  Be- 
ing put  out  again  to  sea,  upon  a promise  of  more  pay, 
they  took  up  their  oars  and  rowed  briskly  for  four  or  five 
miles,  in  order  to  reach  Sidon  that  same  day.  They 
then  grew  tired ; and  being  inclined  to  return  to  their 
fishing,  they  put  Doubdan  and  his  companions  on  shore , 
where  there  was  a very  large  and  deep  cavern , and  began 
to  cook  some  small  fish  with  some  rice ; and  then,  with- 
out speaking  one  word  to  Doubdan,  carried  all  on  board 
the  bark,  and  went  away  toward  the  place  whence 
they  came,  so  that  they  lost  sight  of  them  in  a few  mo- 
ments. This  unexpected  accident  extremely  astonished 
them;  and,  what  was  worse,  there  were  many  Turks, 
Moors,  and  Arabs,  in  this  caverns  ; of  whom  some  were 
reclining  on  the  sand,  enjoying  the  fresh  air  ; some  were 
dressing  provisions  among  the  rocks  ; others  were 
smoking  ; notwithstanding  the  apparent  danger  of  the 
fall  of  great  pieces  of  the  rocks,  which  frequently  hap- 
pened ; but  it  is  common  for  them  to  retire  hither,  on 
account  of  a spring  of  fine  water,  which  glides  along 
here,  and  is  extremely  cool. — Doubdan’s  Voyage  de  la 
Terre  Sainte ; HarmeVs  Observations , vol.  ii.  pp.  27-35. 


FEAST  OF  TABERNACLES, 

John  vii.  37-39. 

In  the  last  day,  that  great  day  of  the  feast,  Jesus 
stood  and  cried,  saying,  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come 


70 


FEAST  OF  TABERNACLES. 


unto  me,  and  drink.  He  that  believeth  on  me,  as  the 
Scripture  hath  said,  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of 
living  water.” 

Our  Lord  here  alludes  to  the  custom  of  pouring  out 
water  in  a solemn  manner  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles, 
to  solicit  the  blessing  of  the  autumnal  rains  for  the  ap- 
proaching seed-time  ; they  being  of  so  great  consequence 
after  the  drought  of  an  Eastern  summer.  This  custom 
appears  to  have  been  first  practised  by  the  Jews  after 
their  return  from  captivity  in  Babylon.  It  was  then 
that  the  prophet  Zechariah  said,  “ It  shall  come  to  pass, 
that  every  one  that  is  left  of  all  the  nations  which  came 
against  Jerusalem,  shall  even  go  up  from  year  to  year 
to  worship  the  King,  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  and  to  keep  the 
Feast  of  Tabernacles.  And  it  shall  be  that  whoso  will 

not  come  up, upon  then  shall  be  no  rain.”  (See 

Zechariah  xiv.  16,  17.)  It  is  therefore  probable  that  the 
Jews  derived  this  rite  from  the  Persians,  and  other  nations 
among  whom  they  had  dwelt  in  their  captivity.  The 
ancient  Persians  kept  a feast,  the  name  of  which  (Abri- 
zan),  means  the  pouring  out  of  water , which  was  prepar- 
atory to  the  descent  of  the  autumnal  rains.  It  is,  there- 
fore, very  likely  that  the  returning  Jews  might  think  of 
adding  some  memorial  of  Jehovah’s  being  the  Giver  of 
rain  to  their  ancient  feast,  which  was  to  be  celebrated 
about  the  same  time  with  the  Persian  festival. — See 
Harmer’s  Observations , vol.  i.,  pp.  83-90. 

THE  PASSOVER. 

Exodus  xii.  18. 

“ In  the  first  month,  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  the 
month,  at  even,  ye  shall  eat  unleavened  bread,  until  the 
one-and-twentieth  day  of  the  month  at  even.” 

Verse  15. 

“ Seven  days  shall  ye  eat  unleavened  bread  ; even  the 
first  day  shall  ye  put  away  leaven  out  of  your  houses  : 


THE  PASSOVER. 


71 


for  whosoever  eateth  leavened  bread  from  the  first  day 
until  the  seventh  day,  that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from 
Israel.” 

Verse  8. 

“ They  shall  eat  the  flesh  (of  the  lamb)  in  that  night, 
roast  with  fire,  and  unleavened  bread,  and  with  bitter 
herbs  they  shall  eat  it.” 

Verse  11. 

“ And  thus  shall  ye  eat  it ; with  your  loins  girded, 
your  shoes  on  your  feet,  and  your  staff  in  your  hand.” 

Verse  22. 

“ Ye  shall  take  a bunch  of  hyssop,  and  dip  it  in  the 
blood  that  is  in  the  basin.” 

Verses  26,  27. 

“ And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  your  children  shall 
say  unto  you,  What  mean  ye  by  this  service  ? that  ye 
shall  say,  It  is  the  sacrifice  of  the  Lord’s  passover,  who 
passed  over  the  houses  of  the  children  of  Israel  in 
Egypt,  when  he  smote  the  Egyptians,  and  delivered  our 
houses.” 

Verse  24. 

“ Ye  shall  observe  this  thing  for  an  ordinance  to  thee 
and  to  thy  sons  for  ever.” 

Matthew  xxvi.  23. 

“ He  that  dippeth  his  hand  with  me  in  the  dish,  the 
same  shall  betray  me.” 

Luke  xxii.  17,  20. 

“ He  took  the  cup,  and  gave  thanks,  and  said,  Take 
this,  and  divide  it  among  yourselves. 

“ Likewise  also  the  cup  after  supper,  saying,  This  cup 
is  the  new  testament  in  my  blood,  which  is  shed  for  you.” 

John  vi.  49-51. 

“ Your  fathers  did  eat  manna  in  the  wilderness,  and 
ajre  dead.  This  is  the  bread  which  cometh  down  from 


72 


THE  PASSOVER. 


heaven,  that  a man  may  eat  thereof,  and  not  die.  I am 
the  living  bread  which  came  down  from  heaven.  If  any 
man  eat  of  this  bread,  he  shall  live  for  ever  ; and  the 
bread  that  I will  give  is  my  flesh,  which  I will  give  for 
the  life  of  the  world.” 

The  passover  is  kept,  as  all  readers  of  Scripture  know, 
on  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  first  month.  I shall  say 
nothing  of  its  original  institution,  nor  of  the  manner  in 
which  it  is  appointed  to  be  kept  in  the  land  of  Judea,  but 
shall  simply  remind  my  Christian  friends  that  it  consisted 
of  two  parts,  the  paschal  lamb  and  the  unleavened  bread. 
No  sacrifices  being  allowed  out  of  the  land,  the  disper- 
sion of  the  Jews  has  necessarily  caused  an  alteration  in 
the  mode  of  this  part  of  the  commemoration  ; but  as  there 
is  no  occasion  to  make  any  change  in  any  other  part,  we 
may  suppose  that,  in  other  respects,  it  is  celebrated  now 
in  the  same  way  it  has  always  been  ; there  is,  at  least, 
strong  reason  to  believe,  from  the  narrative  in  the  Gos- 
pels, that  in  the  days  when  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  partook 
of  it.  the  mode  was  the  same  as  that  at  present  in  use. 

In  order  to  make  some  of  the  customs  I shall  mention' 
more  easily  understood,  I must  inform  my  readers  that 
the  word  homitz  has  a wider  signification  than  is  gener- 
ally attached  to  that  of  leaven , by  which  it  is  rendered 
in  the  English  Bible.  Homitz  signifies  the  fermentation 
of  corn  in  any  shape,  and  applies  to  beer,  and  to  all 
spirituous  liquors  distilled  from  corn.  While,  therefore, 
there  are  four  days  in  passover  week  on  which  business 
may  be  done,  being,  as  it  were,  only  half-holydays,  a 
distiller  or  brewer  must  suspend  his  business  during  the 
whole  time.  And  I must  do  my  brethren  the  justice  to 
say,  that  they  do  not  attempt  to  evade  the  strictness  of 
the  command,  to  put  away  all  leaven,  by  any  ingenious 
shift,  but  fulfil  it  to  the  very  letter.  I know  an  instance 
of  a person  in  trade  who  had  several  casks  of  spirits  sent 
to  him,  which  arrived  during  the  time  of  the  passover  ; 
had  they  come  a few  days  sooner,  they  would  have  been 


THE  PASSOVER. 


73 


lodged  in  some  place  apart  from  his  house  until  the  feast 
was  over  ; but,  during  its  continuation,  he  did  not  think 
it  right  to  meddle  with  them  ; and,  after  hesitating  a little 
time  what  to  do,  he  at  length  poured  the  whole  out  into 
the  street.  About  the  time  of  harvest,  the  pious  Jews, 
who  keep  a watchful  eye  over  their  less  scrupulous 
brethren,  go  often  into  the  fields  to  watch  the  first  ripe 
wheat ; and  no  expense  is  spared  to  get  in  a sufficient 
quantity  as  quickly  as  possible,  wherewith  to  bake  the 
unleavened  bread  the  ensuing  spring.  This  is  carefully 
kept  in  a dry  place,  lest  any  moisture  should  fall  upon  it, 
and  cause  fermentation.  About  three  months  before 
Easter,  the  Jews  in  different  towns  have  a mill,  for  which 
the  Gentile  proprietors  generally  make  them  pay  a large 
sum  of  money.  They  take  a whole  week  to  clean  it,  so 
that  the  least  mark  of  the  old  flour  is  not  to  be  seen. 
When  the  time  of  the  feast  draws  near,  a baker’s  oven 
is  also  hired  ; which  must  be  heated  several  times  before 
they  consider  that  the  “ old  leaven  is  purged  out.”  The 
poor  Jews  and  Jewesses  are  then  employed  in  kneading 
and  rolling  out  the  cakes  as  quickly  as  they  can  ; so  that 
the  whole  operation  must  not  exceed  ten  minutes.  If 
there  are  not  poor  Jews  enough  in  the  place  to  do  the 
whole  work,  the  richer  ones  share  in  this  pious  labor. 
The  night  before  the  passover,  the  master  of  the  family 
searches  the  house  with  candles,  removing  every  crumb 
of  bread  that  may  be  lying  about ; blessing  the  Lord  who 
hath  commanded  his  people  to  put  away  leaven.  The 
day  before  the  feast  begins,  all  the  first-born  males 
among  the  Jews  fast,  in  commemoration  of  God’s 
goodness  in  sparing  them  when  he  smote  all  the  first- 
born of  the  Egyptians  ; and,  before  sunset,  they  assemble 
in  the  synagogue  for  prayer.  The  prayers  at  this  season 
are  peculiary  interesting  ; for,  while  praise  is  given  to 
God  for  the  Egyptian  deliverance,  prayer  is  offered  for 
the  still  greater  deliverance  that  is  to  take  place  at  the 
time  of  the  Messiah  : “ Lord  deliver  u^,”  say  they,  “ from 
the  hands  of  our  enemies,  and  gather  us  from  the  four 
7 


74 


THE  PASSOVER. 


corners  of  the  earth,  through  the  Messiah,  the  Son  of 
David,  our  Righteousness.”  The  solemn  evening  having 
come,  the  master  of  the  house,  on  their  return  from  the 
synagogue,  sits  down  at  the  head  of  the  table,  the  whole 
family,  including  the  Jewish  servants,  being  assembled 
round  it.  On  the  table  are  placed  three  plates  ; one 
contains  three  passover-cakes,  another  horse-radish  and 
bitter  herbs,  and  a third  a bone  of  lamb,  or  a small  piece 
of  roast  meat,  and  a roasted  egg  ; the  last  two  are  in 
commemoration  of  the  paschal  lamb,  and  the  offering  that 
accompanied  it.  The  three  cakes  are  put  in  a napkin  ; 
one  at  the  top,  one  in  the  middle,  and  one  at  the  bottom. 
Beside  these  three  plates,  there  are  other  two  dishes  ; 
one  containing  vinegar  or  salt  and  water,  the  other  a 
mixture  of  various  ingredients  worked  up  to  the  con- 
sistence of  lime,  in  remembrance  of  the  lime  in  which 
our  fathers  worked  in  Egypt.  Each  individual  at  table 
is  provided  with  a glass,  or  small  cup,  for  wine,  which  is 
filled  four  times  in  the  course  of  the  service.  Among 
the  older  and  more  devout  Jews,  it  is  customary  for  the 
master  of  the  family  to  sit  exactly  in  the  manner  pre- 
scribed in  Exodus,  with  his  loins  girt,  his  staff  in  his 
hand,  and  shoes  on  his  feet,  just  as  if  he  had  gone  out  of 
Egypt  yesterday. 

The  service  commences  by  the  repetition  of  several 
blessings  ; and  then  they  drink  the  first  cup  of  wine, 
called  the  wine  of  the  sanctification.  The  master  of  the 
house  then  dips  some  of  the  bitter  herbs  in  vinegar,  and 
gives  a small  portion  to  each  one  at  table.  He  then 
breaks  the  middle  cake,  leaves  one  half  in  the  dish,  and 
hides  the  other  until  after  supper.  The  Jews  do  not 
profess  to  know  with  certainty  what  this  hidden  part 
signifies  ; but  the  common  belief  is,  that  it  is  in  commem- 
oration of  the  hidden  manna ; and  in  this  opinion  I am 
disposed  to  join,  for  reasons  that  I shall  hereafter  state. 
They  then  lay  hold  of  the  dish  containing  the  passover 
cakes,  and  the  bitter  herbs,  and  say  : “ Lo  ! this  is  as 
the  bread  of  affliction,  which  our  ancestors  ate  in  the 


THE  PASSOVER. 


75 


land  of  Egypt ; let  all  those  who  are  hungry  come  and 
eat  thereof,  and  all  who  are  needy  come  and  celebrate 
our  passover.  At  this  time  we  are  here  ; next  year  we 
hope  to  be  in  the  land  of  Israel.  Now  we  are  servants  ; 
next  year  we  hope  to  be  free  children.’’ 

The  youngest  in  the  company  then  ask : “ Where- 
fore is  this  night  distinguished  from  all  other  nights  V9 
To  which  the  whole  of  the  others  reply  : “ Because  we 
were  slaves  unto  Pharoah  in  Egypt,  and  the  Lord  our 
God  brought  us  out  thence,  with  a mighty  hand  and  an 
outstretched  arm.” 

They  then  proceed  to  rehearse  God’s  mighty  acts  ol 
deliverance  toward  our  fathers  ; the  head  of  the  family 
reading  or  repeating,  the  rest  making  responses.  When 
this  is  finished,  the  unleavened  bread  is  shown  to  all,  as 
a mark  of  their  freedom,  and  a portion  of  it  is  received 
and  eaten  by  each.  They  again  eat  bitter  herbs,  dipped 
in  the  mixture  that  represents  the  lime.  This  concludes 
the  first  and  greater  part  of  the  service.  Supper  is  then 
put  on  table,  and  is  a meal  of  social  rejoicing.  The 
union  of  domestic  enjoyment  with  religious  services,  was 
in  the  Jewish  religion,  the  appointment  of  God  himself; 
and  it  is  probably  only  those  who  have  experienced  it, 
who  can  fully  understand  the  wisdom  of  the  Divine 
legislator,  in  thus  connecting  the  highest  act  of  which 
man  is  capable,  that  of  worshipping  God,  with  the  purest 
and  holiest  of  natural  affections. 

The  supper  being  ended,  two  large  cups  are  filled  with 
wine.  One  of  these  is  taken  by  the  master  of  the  house, 
and  a blessing  pronounced.  This  blessing  refers  very 
distinctly  to  the  time  of  Messiah’s  reign  : “ Oh  most 
merciful ! make  us  to  inherit  the  day  when  all  shall  be 
sabbath  ; and  we  shall  rest  in  life  for  ever : Oh  most 
merciful ! cause  us  to  be  inheritors  of  the  day  when  all 
shall  be  good  : Oh  most  merciful ! make  us  worthy  to 
see  the  days  of  the  Messiah,  and  life  in  the  world  to 
come  : May  He  who  exalte th  the  salvation  of  his  king, 
and  showeth  mercy  to  his  anointed,  to  David  and  his 


76 


THE  PASSOVER. 


seed  for  evermore,  who  causes  peace  to  exist  in  the 
heavens,  cause  his  peace  to  be  upon  us,  and  upon  all 
Israel. — Amen.”  This  is  in  strict  harmony  with  the 
prayer  of  our  Lord  : “ Thy  kingdom  come  ! thy  will 
be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven.”  After  this  bles- 
sing, the  head  of  the  family  gives  the  cup  to  all  those 
sitting  around.  He  then  brings  forth  the  hidden  cake, 
and  distributes  a piece  to  each.  The  second  cup  of 
wine,  called  Elijah’s  cup,  is  then  placed  before  him,  the 
door  is  opened,  and  a solemn  pause  of  expectation 
ensues.  It  is  at  this  moment  that  the  Jews  expect  the 
coming  of  Elijah  will  take  place,  to  announce  the  glad 
tidings  that  the  Messiah  is  at  hand.  Well  do  I remem- 
ber the  interest  with  which,  when  I was  a boy,  I looked 
toward  the  door,  hoping  that  Elijah  might  really  enter  , 
for  notwithstanding  the  disappointment  year  after  year, 
his  arrival  is  still  confidently  expected.  Of  this  cup  of 
Elijah  no  one  partakes,  but  it  is  looked  upon  as  sanctified. 
The  ceremony  concludes  by  singing  the  hymn  of,  “ Lord, 
build  thy  temple  speedily  at  the  end  of  which,  the 
head  of  the  family  says  : “ This  year  we  are  here  ; may 
we  be  next  year  in  Jerusalem.” 

I would  make  a few  remarks  on  this  feast,  as  viewed 
in  connexion  with  the  first  institution  of  our  Lord’s 
Supper.  The  passover  has  been  celebrated  by  the  Jews, 
without  intermission,  since  the  Babylonish  captivity ; and 
as  we  are  not  a people  given  to  adopt  modern  innova- 
tions of  any  sort,  it  is  probable  the  mode  has  never  been 
changed,  in  any  other  way  than  by  the  addition,  or  sub- 
stitution, of  different  prayers,  suited  to  the  state  of  dis- 
persion, which  are  to  be  met  with  in  all  the  various 
services,  as  well  as  allusions  to  the  sayings  of  certain 
eminent  men,  the  date  of  which  is  of  course  not  difficult 
to  ascertain.  It  is,  therefore,  most  probable,  that  our 
Lord  and  his  disciples,  in  all  the  ceremonial  part,  com- 
memorated it  in  the  same  manner  as  we  now  do.  The 
custom  of  dipping  the  bitter  herbs,  seems  to  accord  with 
Christ’s  words  : “ He  that  dippeth  with  me  in  the  dish,” 


THE  PASSOVER. 


77 


“ He  to  whom  I shall  give  a sop  when  I have  dipped  it.” 
In  reading  the  narratives  of  the  four  Evangelists,  we  mu3t 
remember,  they  were  written  by  Jews,  and  that  those  for 
whom  they  were  first  written,  were  either  Jews,  or  the 
disciples  of  Jews  ; none  of  them,  therefore,  enter  into 
any  detailed  account  of  the  services  of  that  evening,  but 
simply  allude  to  them  as  matters  well  known.  We  are 
not,  therefore,  to  be  surprised  that  the  two  cups  are  not 
mentioned  in  all  the  narratives  ; but  to  regard  the  narra- 
tive of  them  by  St.  Luke  as  sufficient  evidence  that  they 
were  used.  In  chap.  xxii.  17,  it  is  said  : He  took  the 

cup,  and  gave  thanks,  and  said,  Take  this,  and  divide  it 
among  yourselves  and  in  verse  20,  “ Likewise  also  the 
cup  after  supper,  saying,  This  cup  is  the  new  testament 
in  my  blood.”  The  breaking  of  the  bread  being  men- 
tioned in  connexion  with  this  cup,  gives  every  reason  to 
suppose  that  it  was  the  hidden  cake  which  our  Lord  used 
for  this  purpose,  and  which  I have  already  said  is  gener- 
ally considered  commemorative  of  the  hidden  manna.  It 
is  very  probable  that  this  was  introduced  during  the  time 
of  the  second  Temple  ; the  pot  with  the  manna  not  being 
there.  Our  Lord  said  to  them  at  a former  period : 
“ Your  fathers  did  eat  manna  in  the  wilderness,  and  are 
dead  ; he  that  eateth  of  me  shall  never  die.  The 
bread  that  I will  give  is  my  flesh,  which  I will  give  for 
the  life  of  the  world.” 

It  seems  very  appropriate,  to  take  that  which  was  used 
as  an  emblem  of  the  hidden  manna,  to  represent  that 
broken  body,  given  for  the  life  and  nourishment  of  the 
world,  as  the  manna  was  given  to  the  children  of  Israel. 
— See  A Brief  Sketch  of  the  Present  State  and  Future 
Expectations  of  the  Jews , by  Ridley  H.  Herschell , pp, 
54-65. 


JEWISH  WEDDING. 


Luke  i.  26,  27. 

“ And  in  the  sixth  month  the  angel  Gabriel  was  sent 
from  God  unto  a city  of  Galilee,  named  Nazareth,  to  a 


78 


JEWISH  WEDDING. 


virgin  espoused  to  a man  whose  name  was  Joseph,  of  the 
house  of  David  ; and  the  virgin’s  name  was  Mary.” 

Matthew  xlv.  6. 

“ And  at  midnight  there  was  a cry  made,  Behold ! 
the  bridegroom  cometh ; go  ye  out  to  meet  him.” 

Psalm  xlv.  9,  13,  14,  15. 

“ Upon  thy  right  hand  did  stand  the  queen  in  gold  of 
Ophir.  The  king’s  daughter  is  all  glorious  within  ; her 
clothing  is  of  wrought  gold.  She  shall  be  brought  unto 
the  king  in  raiment  of  needle-work : the  virgins  her 
companions  that  follow  her  shall  be  brought  unto  thee. 
With  gladness  and  rejoicing  shall  they  be  brought : they 
shall  enter  into  the  king’s  palace.” 

Revelation  xix.  7-9. 

“ Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and  give  honor  to 
Him : for  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  his 
wife  hath  made  herself  ready.  And  to  her  was  granted 
that  she  should  be  arrayed  in  fine  linen,  clean  and  white. 
....  And  he  saith  unto  me,  Write,  Blessed  are  they 
which  are  called  unto  the  marriage-supper  of  the  Lamb.” 

Matthew  ix.  15. 

“ And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  can  the  children  of  the 
bride-chamber  mourn,  as  long  as  the  bridegroom  is  with 
them  ? But  the  days  will  come,  when  the  bridegroom 
shall  be  taken  from  them  and  then  they  shall  fast.” 

The  ceremonies  attending  a Jewish  marriage  illus- 
trate many  important  parts  of  Scripture — especially  those 
referring  to  the  union  between  Christ  and  the  church. 
In  ancient  times  the  ceremony  of  betrothing  was  the 
solemn  engagement  by  which  two  persons  were  united 
for  life  ; and  this,  in  the  Talmud,  is  directed  to  take 
place  at  least  twelve  months  before  the  parties  live 
together.  Thus,  Mary,  the  mother  of  our  Lord,  was  “ a 
virgin,  espoused  to  a man  whose  name  was  Joseph,”  yet 
would  have  been  treated  as  an  adulteress  had  she  formed 
a connexion  with  any  other  man.  In  process  of  time, 


JEWISH  WEDDING. 


79 


this  law  became  less  strictly  observed  ; and,  although  the 
betrothing  still  takes  place  some  time  before  the  mar- 
riage (in  many  cases  two  or  three  years  previous,  if  the 
parties  are  young),  yet  it  is  not  now  done  by  giving  a 
ring,  but  by  a written  agreement.  This  contract,  if  not 
dissolved  by  mutual  consent,  is  so  far  binding,  as  to  in 
volve  the  party  breaking  it  in  a pecuniary  penalty. 

The  night  before  the  celebration  of  the  marriage  is 
called  the  “ watch-night,”  and  is  kept  as  such  by  the 
family  of  the  bride,  and  the  maidens  who  attend  her  on 
the  occasion.  If  the  bridegroom’s  residence  be  at  a dis- 
tance from  that  of  the  bride,  he  usually  arrives  some 
time  in  the  course  of  this  night,  or  very  early  in  the 
morning.  The  bridemaids  watch  anxiously  for  his  ar- 
rival, and  as  soon  as  they  are  apprized  of  his  approach 
by  the  joyful  shout  set  up  by  some  of  the  members  of 
the  family,  who  have  been  on  the  look-out  to  catch  the 
first  glimpse  of  him,  “ The  bridegroom  cometh  !”  they 
go  forth  to  meet  him.  The  precision  with  which  this 
answers  to  the  parable  in  the  twenty-fifth  chapter  of 
Matthew’s  Gospel,  scarcely  requires  pointing  out. 

The  bride  and  bridegroom  do  not  meet  at  his  arrival ; 
each  being  engaged  apart  until  the  afternoon  of  the  mar- 
riage-day. The  morning  is  observed  as  a fast  by  both, 
and  each  should  spend  a great  part  of  it  in  devotion — he 
with  his  male  friends  ; she  with  her  parents  and  bride- 
maids.  A due  time  before  the  hour  fixed  for  the  cere- 
mony, the  bride  begins  “ to  make  herself  ready”— 
decking  herself  in  the  most  splendid  attire  that  her 
means  enable  her  to  procure.  Glittering  jewels,  the 
“ golden  embroidery,”  and  “ raiment  of  needle-work,” 
mentioned  in  the  forty-fifth  Psalm,  are  by  no  means  con- 
fined to  those  Avho  are  really  opulent ; but  the  utmost 
efforts  are  made  by  the  friends  of  every  bride  to  render 
her  wedding  garments  as  splendid  as  possible.  She  and 
her  bridemaids  are  usually  dressed  in  white.  The  hair 
of  the  bride  is  cut  off  with  much  ceremony,  and  a veil 
placed  upon  her  head ; while  her  mother  and  other  ma 


80 


JEWISH  WEDDING. 


Irons  give  her  exhortations  suitable  to  the  first  assump* 
tion  of  this  mark  of  being  in  subjection. 

The  huppo  is  a canopy  supported  on  four  posts,  large 
enough  to  admit  under  it  the  bride  and  bridegroom,  with 
their  special  attendants,  and  the  nearest  relatives  of  the 
parties.  This  is  usually  erected  in  a garden,  where  there 
is  one  ; but,  in  towns,  is  sometimes  to  be  seen  in  the  pub- 
lic street  or  square.  When  all  things  are  ready,  the  bride- 
groom, accompanied  by  his  friends,  first  repairs  to  the 
huppo,  where  he  is  joined  by  the  bride,  closely  veiled, 
and  led  by  her  bridemaids  and  female  relatives.  The 
rabbi  reads  the  contract  of  marriage,  and  then  gives 
them  an  exhortation  ; the  company  sing  a hymn,  and  the 
ceremony  concludes  by  the  bridegroom  placing  a plain 
gold  ring  on  the  fore-finger  of  the  bride’s  left  hand,  say- 
ing, “ Behold,  thou  art  set  apart  to  me  with  this  ring,  ac- 
cording to  the  laws  of  Moses  and  Israel.” 

The  whole  party  then  return  to  the  house,  the  newly- 
married  pair  walking  first,  arm-in-arm.  As  soon  as 
they  arrive,  they  sit  down  to  breakfast  together,  both 
having  fasted  until  that  time.  A short  time  after  this, 
the  chief  feast,  or  what  may  be  called  the  marriage- 
supper,  takes  place,  which  is  a very  joyful  scene.  The 
bridegroom  sits  at  the  head  of  the  table,  with  his  bride 
at  his  right  hand.  In  former  times  it  was  usual  to  con- 
tinue the  festivities  for  seven  days  ; but  this  custom  is 
now  very  rare,  and  confined  to  a few  of  the  wealthy 
families. 

I may  here  mention  a custom  which  throws  light  on 
our  Lord’s  words  in  Matthew  ix.  15.  Beside  the  ap- 
pointed fasts  of  the  Jewish  church,  voluntary  fasts  are 
kept  by  those  who  are,  or  wish  to  be  thought,  particu- 
larly pious.  Many,  like  the  Pharisee,  fast  twice  in  the 
week  ; namely,  on  the  second  and  fifth  days — our  Mon- 
day and  Thursday.  It  would  be  considered  very  wrong, 
in  those  who  are  in  the  habit  of  observing  such  fasts,  to 
omit  them  for  frivolous  reasons  ; but  if  they  are  invited 
to  a marriage,  they  are  specially  exempted  from  the 


JEWISH  WEDDING. 


81 


observance  of  them.  Hence  our  Lord  refers  to  the  im- 
propriety of  fasting  in  the  presence  of  the  bridegroom, 
as  to  a custom  well  known  among  the  Jews. 

When  a Jew  reads,  that  “ the  marriage  of  the  lamb 
is  come,  and  his  wife  hath  made  herself  ready,”  he  is 
forcibly  reminded  of  the  song,  with  which  he  has  been 
accustomed  from  his  youth  to  commence  every  sabbath  : 
“ Go  forth,  my  beloved,  to  meet  the  bride.”  By  the  bride 
is  meant  the  congregation  or  assembly  of  Israel,  which 
conveys  precisely  a similar  idea  to  a Jew  that  the  words 
“ the  church  ” do  to  a Christian.  It  is  on  the  sabbath 
of  blessedness,  in  the  days  of  the  Messiah,  that  this 
meeting  between  him  and  his  bride  is  to  take  place ; and 
the  weekly  sabbath,  on  which  this  song  is  sung,  he  re- 
gards as  the  type  of  that  “ rest  that  remaineth  for  the 
people  of  God.” — HerschelVs  Sketch  of  the  Jews , pp. 
92-97. 

Canticles  ii.  9. 

“ My  beloved  is  like  a roe,  or  a young  hart : behold, 
he  standeth  behind  our  wall,  he  looketh  forth  at  the 
window,  showing  himself  through  the  lattice.” 

The  Rev.  Pliny  Fisk,  the  missionary  to  Palestine,  in 
the  description  of  a Jewish  wedding  which  he  had  wit- 
nessed, writes,  “ At  the  opposite  end  of  the  court  was  a 
kind  of  gallery  where  the  bride  was  making  prepara- 
tions for  the  ceremony,  and  in  front  of  which  hung 
stripes  of  different  colored  paper,  red,  pale  red,  and 
yellow,  some  of  them  covered  with  gold  leaf.  Now  and 
then  the  bride  showed  herself  through  the  lattice,  or 
wooden  net-work,  which  stood  in  front  of  the  gallery. 
It  reminded  us  of  Solomon’s  Song : £ My  beloved  look- 
eth forth  at  the  windows,  showing  himself  through  the 
lattice .’  ” 

MARRIAGE  CEREMONIES. 

Judges  xiv.  1-13. 

“ And  Samson  went  down  to  Timnath,  and  saw  a 
woman  in  Timnath  of  the  daughters  of  the  Philistines* 


82 


MARRIAGE  CEREMONIES. 


And  he  came  up  and  told  his  father  and  his  mother,  and 
said,  . . . Get  her  for  me  to  wife  ...  So  his  father  went 
down  unto  the  woman : and  Samson  made  there  a feast, 
for  so  used  the  young  men  to  do.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
wdien  they  saw  him,  that  they  brought  thirty  compan- 
ions to  be  with  him.  And  Samson  said  unto  them,  I 
will  now  put  forth  a riddle  unto  you  ; if  you  can  certainly 
declare  it  me  within  the  seven  days  of  the  feast,  and  find 
it  out,  then  I will  give  you  thirty  sheets,  and  thirty 
change  of  garments.” 

Mr.  Jowett  gives  the  following  account  of  a mar- 
riage among  the  Christians  in  Deir  el  Kamr,  a town  on 
Mount  Lebanon.  It  took  place  in  the  evening  : “ Three 
priests  assisted  in  performing  it.  A multitude  of  men 
and  boys  set  off  with  lights  in  their  hands,  an  hour  after 
sunset,  from  the  house  of  the  bridegroom  (leaving  the 
bridegroom  in  his  father’s  house),  to  that  of  the  bride. 
After  waiting  nearly  half  an  hour,  the  bride  came  out, 
attended  by  her  female  friends,  and  the  procession  began 
— the  men  going  first,  and  after  them  the  women,  with 
the  bride  in  their  front.  On  their  coming  near  the 
church  they  halted,  while  the  bridegroom  proceeded  first 
into  the  church,  with  his  father  and  companions,  in 
number  certainly  more  than  thirty,  to  be  ready  to  receive 
his  bride.  After  this,  the  bride  and  her  party  entered  by 
the  door  and  apartment  belonging  to  the  women.  Both 
then  stood  together  in  the  middle  of  the  church  before  a 
lighted  desk,  the  bride  being  covered.  An  incessant 
noise  and  tumult,  which  no  authority  of  the  priests 
could  appease,  prevailed  throughout  the  ceremony,  which 
lasted  nearly  half  an  hour.  The  whole  being  ended,  the 
friend  of  the  bridegroom,  standing  behind  him,  lifted  him 
up  in  his  hands  like  a child,  shouting  at  the  same  time 
for  joy.  This,  however,  as  well  as  the  tumult,  was  a 
mark  that  the  parties  were  of  the  lower  rank.” 

Seven  days  afterward,  Mr.  Jowett  writes  : “ I have 
in  view  two  of  the  houses  where,  last  Sunday,  marriages 


MARRIAGE  CEREMONIES. 


83 


took  place.  The  courtyards  and  the  tops  of  the  houses, 
are  again  crowded  with  guests.  The  continuance  of  the 
feasting  illustrates  Judges  xiv.  12.” — See  Jowett's  Re- 
searches in  Syria , <^c.,  pp.  87,  88,  95. 

Matthew  xxv.  10. 

“ And  the  door  was  shut.” 

“ At  a marriage,  the  procession  of  which  I saw  some 
years  ago,  the  bridegroom  came  from  a distance,  and  the 
bride  lived  at  Serampore,  to  which  place  the  bridegroom 
was  to  come  by  water.  After  waiting  two  or  three  hours, 
at  length,  near  midnight,  it  was  announced  as  if  in  the 
very  words  of  Scripture,  ‘ Behold  ! the  bridegroom  com- 
eth ; go  ye  out  to  meet  him !’  All  the  persons  employed, 
now  lighted  their  lamps,  and  ran  with  them  in  their 
hands  to  fill  up  their  stations  in  the  procession  : some 
of  them  had  lost  their  lights,  and  were  unprepared,  but 
it  was  then  too  late  to  seek  them  ; and  the  cavalcade 
moved  forward  to  the  house  of  the  bride,  at  which  place, 
the  company  entered  a large  and  splendidly  illuminated 
area  before  the  house,  covered  with  an  awning,  where  a 
great  multitude  of  friends,  dressed  in  their  best  apparel, 
were  seated  upon  mats.  The  bridegroom  was  carried  in 
the  arms  of  a friend,  and  placed  on  a superb  seat  in  the 
midst  of  the  company,  where  he  sat  a short  time,  and 
then  went  into  the  house,  the  door  of  which  was  imme- 
diately shut,  and  guarded  by  keepers.  I and  others  ex- 
postulated with  the  doorkeepers,  hut  in  vain'' — Ward's 
View  of  the  Hindoos . 

MANNER  OF  ANNOUNCING  THE  BIRTH  OF  A 

SON  IN  PERSIA. 

Jeremiah  xx.  15. 

“ Cursed  be  the  man  who  brought  tidings  to  my  father, 
saying,  A man-child  is  born  unto  thee  ; making  him  very 
glad.” 

The  Persians  look  upon  a son  as  a blessing,  and  its 
birth  is  announced  with  great  ceremony  to  the  father. 


84 


BIRTH  OF  A SON  IN  PERSIA. 


Some  confidential  servant  is  usually  the  first  to  get  the 
information,  when  he  runs  in  great  haste  to  his  master, 
and  says*  “ Good  news  !”  by  which  he  secures  to  him- 
self a gift,  which  generally  follows  the  announcement. 

Among  the  common  people,  the  man  who  brings  the 
tidings  frequently  seizes  on  the  cap  or  shawl,  or  any 
such  article,  belonging  to  the  father,  as  a security  for 
the  present  to  which  he  holds  himself  entitled. 

When  the  ambassador  of  Persia  was  there,  in  1811,  a 
dervish,  who  was  considered  a cunning  man,  assured 
him  he  would  have  a son,  and  even  before  the  birth  of 
the  child  (who  proved  to  be  a daughter),  demanded  a pres- 
ent, as  the  price  of  his  divination.  When  it  is  recol- 
lected that  there  are  no  rejoicings  on  the  birth  of  a 
daughter,  but  that,  on  the  contrary,  every  one  is  back- 
ward to  inform  the  father  of  it,  as  they  were  forward  on 
the  birth  of  the  son,  the  whole  force  of  the  passage  in 
Jeremiah  will  be  felt ; and  it  will  appear  they  were  in- 
formed of  the  event  by  men,  as  they  are  at  the  present 
day. — Morier's  Second  Journey  through  Persia , fyc.,  pp. 
103,  104. 

CEREMONIES  AFTER  THE  BIRTH  OF  A CHILD 

AMONG  THE  PERSIANS.  WEANING— FEAST— AND 

“BRINGERS  UP  OF  CHILDREN.’5 

1 Samuel  i.  11. 

“ And  she  [Hannah],  vowed  avow,  and  said,  0,  Lord 
of  Hosts,  if  thou  wilt  indeed  look  on  the  affliction  of 
thine  handmaid,  and  remember  me,  and  not  forget  thine 
handmaid,  but  wilt  give  unto  thine  handmaid  a man 
child,  then  I will  give  him  unto  the  Lord  all  the  days  of 
his  life,  and  there  shall  no  razor  come  upon  his  head.” 

The  Persians  adopt  certain  ceremonies  about  shaving 
the  head.  It  frequently  happens,  after  the  birth  of  a son* 
that  if  the  parent  be  in  distress,  or  the  child  be  sick, 
or  that  there  be  any  other  cause  of  grief,  the  mother 
makes  a vow  that  no  razor  shall  come  upon  the  child’s 


PERSIAN  CEREMONIES  AFTER  A BIRTH. 


85 


head  for  a certain  portion  of  time,  and  sometimes  for  all 
his  life.  If  the  child  recover,  and  the  cause  of  grief  be 
removed,  and  if  the  vow  be  but  for  a time,  so  that  the 
mother’s  vow  be  fulfilled,  then  she  shaves  his  head  at 
the  end  of  the  time  prescribed,  makes  a small  entertain- 
ment, collects  money  and  other  things  from  her  relations 
and  friends,  which  are  sent  as  offerings  to  a mosque, 
and  are  there  consecrated.  We  may  compare  this  with 
the  law  of  the  Nazarites.  (Numbers  vi.)  The  person 
who  was  separated  to  God’s  service  let  his  hair  grow, 
and  abstained  from  wine  and  other  usual  indulgences. 
This  was  done  sometimes  during  life,  and  sometimes 
during  certain  periods  only;  after  the  latter  offerings 
were  made  to  the  Lord. 

Hannah’s  vow  was  one  of  gratitude,  an  expression  of 
thankfulness  ; but  more  usually  in  Scripture  the  unshaven 
head  is  an  expression  of  grief,  and  a vow  to  such  an 
effect  an  act  of  penitential  humiliation. 

Genesis  xxi.  8. 

“ And  the  child  grew,  and  was  weaned  : and  Abraham 
made  a great  feast  the  same  day  that  Isaac  was  weaned.” 

Among  the  Persians  boys  are  weaned  at  two  years 
and  two  months,  girls  at  two  years.  On  the  day  that 
the  child  is  to  be  weaned  they  carry  it  to  the  mosque, 
(in  the  same  manner,  perhaps,  that  Hannah  took  Samuel 
to  the  house  of  the  Lord,  when  she  had  weaned  him 
1 Sam.  i.  29),  and,  after  having  performed  certain  acts 
of  devotion,  they  return  home,  and  collecting  their 
friends  and  relations,  they  give  a feast,  of  which  they 
make  the  child  also  partake.  The  coincidence  with 
Scripture  is  here  remarkable.  See  Gen.  xxi.  8. 

2 Kings  x.  5, 

“ And  the  bringers-up  of  the  children  sent  to  Jehu.  . .” 

The  rich  hire  a wet-nurse  for  their  children.  If  a 
bov,  the  father  appoints  a steady  man  from  the  age  of 

' S 


86 


PERSIAN  CEREMONIES  AFTER  A BIRTH, 


two  years  to  be  his  “ laleh,”  who  I conjecture  must 
stand  in  the  same  capacity  as  the  “ bringers-up  of  chil- 
dren” mentioned  in  2 Kings  x.  5 ; but  if  it  be  a daugh~ 
ter,  she  has  a woman  called  “ gees  sefeed,”  or  white 
head  attached  to  her  for  the  same  purpose  as  the 
“ laleh.” — Morierrs  Second  Journey  through  Persia , 4*c., 
pp.  107,  109,  110. 


MANNER  OF  CARRYING  CHILDREN. 

Isaiah  xlix.  22. 

“ Thy  daughters  shall  be  carried  upon  their  shoulders.” 
The  young  children  of  both  sexes  are  usually  carried 
by  their  mothers  and  nurses,  not  in  the  arms,  but  on  the 
shoulder,  seated  astride,  and  sometimes,  for  a short  dis- 
tance, on  the  hip. — Lane's  Modern-  Egyptians , vol.  i.?J 
p.  58. 


87 


CHAPTER  IV. 


Method  of  honoring  Distinguished  Persons — Sending  Deputations 
— Riding — On  the  Royal  Horse — Sending  Portions  from  the  Ta- 
bles of  Great  Men — Fixing  a Spear  wherever  a Person  of  Con- 
sequence Reposes — Marks  of  Respect — Kissing  the  Feet,  Knees, 
Robe,  Beard,  Hand,  Ground — Concealing  the  Feet — Holding 
the  Feet — Putting  off  the  Shoes — Dismounting — Tokens  of 
Friendship — White  Stone — Presents — Mark  of  Agreement — 
Customary  Salutations. 


DEPUTATIONS  OF  HONORABLE  MEN,  A MARK  OF 
GREAT  ESTEEM  IN  PERSIA. 

Numbers  xxii.  15. 

“ And  Balak  sent  yet  again  princes,  more  and  more 
honorable  than  they.” 

When  the  English  ambassador  to  Persia  drew  near 
Ispahan,  he  was  met  by  the  confidential  officer  of  the 
governor  of  Ispahan,  by  a learned  man  of  the  city,  and 
by  several  other  men  of  respectability.  These  deputa- 
tions are  called  openers  of  the  way,  and  are  one  of  the 
principal  modes  among  the  Persians  of  doing  honor  to 
their  guests.  The  more  distinguished  the  persons  sent, 
and  the  greater  the  distance  to  which  they  go,  so  much 
more  considerable  is  the  honor.  On  the  day  of  the 
entry  of  the  embassy  into  Ispahan,  it  was  first  met  by 
the  youngest  son  of  the  second  vizier  of  Persia,  a boy 
of  about  thirteen  years  of  age,  who  received  the  am- 
bassador with  all  the  ease  of  an  old  courtier,  making 
the  usual  compliments  of,  “ You  are  welcome  ; you  have 
done  us  honor  ; are  your  spirits  good  ? how  is  your 
health  ? you  have  no  ailing  ?”  Men  of  consequence  in 
the  city  at  different  intervals  presented  themselves  ; and 
at  length  two  of  the  brothers  of  the  vizier  paid  their 


88 


DEPUTATIONS  OF  HONORABLE  MEN. 


respects  to  the  ambassador.  At  length  the  governor  in 
person  came  out  a mile  from  the  city,  to  meet  him. 
This  succession  of  personages,  whose  rank  increased  as 
we  approached  the  city,  may  bring  to  mind  the  “ princes, 
more  and  more  honorable,”  which  Balak  sent  to  Bala- 
am.— Moneys  Second  Journey  through  Persia , fyc.,  pp. 
127-129. 


RIDING  A TOKEN  OF  HIGH  RANK. 

Ecclesiastes  x.  7. 

“ I have  seen  servants  upon  horses,  and  princes 
walking  as  servants  upon  the  earth.” 

To  walk  about  on  foot,  is  an  act  of  very  great  humil- 
ity in  Persian  estimation.  Walking  is  a part  of  the  ser- 
vice exacted  from  servants,  multitudes  of  whom  are 
always  attached  to  a prince  and  a man  of  consequence 
in  the  East.  Many  are  kept  exclusively  for  that  pur- 
pose : when  a great  man  goes  abroad  he  is  mounted  on 
a horse,  while  his  servants  surround  him,  one  bearing 
his  pipe,  another  his  shoes,  another  his  cloak,  a fourth 
his  saddle-cloth,  and  so  on,  the  number  increasing  with 
the  dignity  of  the  master. — Moneys  Second  Journey 
through  Persia , c^c.,  p.  166. 

, RIDING  ON  THE  ROYAL  HORSE. 

Esther  vi.  7-9. 

“ For  the  man  whom  the  king  delighteth  to  honor,  let 
the  royal  apparel  be  brought  which  the  king  useth  to 
wear,  and  the  horse  that  the  king  rideth  upon,  and  the 
crown-royal  which  is  set  upon  his  head  ; and  let  this 
apparel  and  horse  be  delivered  to  the  hand  of  one  of  the 
king’s  most  noble  princes,  that  they  may  array  the  man 
withal  whom  the  king  delighteth  to  honor,  and  bring  him 
on  horseback  through  the  street  of  the  city,  and  proclaim 
before  him,  Thus  shall  it  be  done  to  the  man  whom  the 
king  delighteth  to  honor.” 


RIDING  ON  THE  ROYAL  HORSE. 


89 


The  following  account  of  the  manner  in  which  a 
person  is  treated  in  Africa  upon  his  turning  Mahome- 
tan, singularly  agrees  with  the  honors  here  mentioned  : 
“ Such  a person  is  to  get  on  horseback,  on  a stately 


steed,  with  a rich  saddle  and  fine  trappings — he  is 
also  richly  habited,  and  has  a turban  on  his  head — but 
nothing  of  this  is  to  be  called  his  own.  The  horse, 
with  him  on  his  back,  is  led  all  round  the  city,  which 
he  is  several  hours  in  doing.  He  is  attended  with  drums, 
and  other  music,  and  twenty  or  thirty  stewards,  who  are 
under  the  sergeants.  These  march  in  order  on  each 
side  of  the  horse,  with  naked  swords  in  their  hands. 
The  crier  goes  before,  with  a loud  voice  giving  thanks 
for  the  proselyte  that  is  made.” — Pitt’s  Account  of  the 
Religion  and  Manners  of  the  Mahometans.  See  Har - 
suer’s  Observations , vol  ii.,  pp.,  305-397. 

8* 


90 


PORTIONS  SENT  FROM  THE  TABLES  OF 
GREAT  MEN. 

Genesis  xliii.  34. 

“ And  he  took  and  sent  messes  unto  them  from  before 
him  : but  Benjamin’s  mess  was  live  times  so  much  as 
any  of  theirs.” 

It  is  still  regarded  as  a distinction  of  value  to  have 
any  portion  from  the  table  of  a monarch,  or  of  a great 
man.  When  a celebrated  traveller  dined  in  the  pres- 
ence of  an  Eastern  sovereign,  he  was  thought  to  be 
greatly  honored,  because  the  king  tore  off  a handful  of 
meat  from  the  joint  and  sent  it  to  him.  A Dutch  am- 
bassador, in  similar  circumstances,  mentions  it  as  a mark 
of  great  honor  that  some  bones  of  mutton,  with  half  the 
meat  gnawed  off  them  were  sent  him  from  the  table  of 
the  emperor.  Sir  J.  Chardin  observes  that  the  great 
men  are  always  served  by  themselves,  in  the  feasts  that 
are  made  for  them  ; and  with  great  profusion,  their  part 
of  each  kind  of  provision  being  always  double,  treble, 
or  a larger  proportion  of  each  kind  of  meat.  It  is  also 
a mark  of  distinction  for  a guest  to  have  many  different 
dishes  set  before  him.  Joseph,  therefore,  probably  sent 
his  favorite  brother  many  different  kinds  of  meat,  there 
being  enough  of  each  dish  to  serve  him  for  a meal,  had 
he  chosen  to  partake  solely  of  it. — Harmer's  Observa- 
tions, vol.  ii.,  pp.  102,  99,  note. 


FIXING  A SPEAR  BESIDE  A GREAT  MAN. 

1 Samuel  xxii.  6. 

. . . . “ Now  Saul  abode  in  Gibeah  under  a tree  in  Ra- 
mah  [margin,  under  a grove  in  a high  place],  having  his 
spear  in  his  hand,  and  all  his  servants  were  standing 
about  him.” 


FIXING  A SPEAR  BESIDE  A GREAT  MAN. 


91 


When  Dr.  Pococke  was  travelling  in  company  with 
an  Eastern  governor  of  distinction,  they  passed  one 
night  in  a grove  of  palm-trees. 

On  another  occasion  he  speaks  of  visiting  the  lieu- 
tenant of  another  governor,  and  finding  him  sitting  on 
a carpet  and  cushions,  which  were  laid  on  a height , with 
the  standard  beside  him.  The  words  of  the  sacred 


historian,  “ his  spear  m his  handf  may  be  translated 
“ at  his  hand,”  i.  e .,  beside  him  ; and  it  is  certain,  that 
when  a long  pike  is  carried  before  a company  of  Arabs, 
it  is  a mark  that  a prince  is  among  them ; and  when  he 
alights,  and  the  horses  are  fastened,  the  pike  is  fixed. — 
Dr.  Pococke’s  Description  of  the  East . See  Har- 
per’s Observations , vol.  ii.,  pp.  433-435, 


92 


FIXING  A SPEAR  BESIDE  A GREAT  MAN. 


1 Samuel  xxvi.  7. 

. . “ And,  behold,  Saul  lay  sleeping  within  the 
trench,  and  his  spear  stuck  in  the  ground  at  his  bolster  , 
but  Abner  and  the  people  lay  round  about  him.” 

Mr.  Morier  saw  a Persian  governor  reposing  him- 
self after  the  fatigue  of  a long  journey,  being  extended 
under  a shed  fast  asleep  on  the  ground,  with  a spear 
stuck  at  his  bolster-head,  which  now,  as  in  the  days  of 
Saul,  marks  the  spot  where  a man  of  consequence  re- 
poses.— Morier* s Second  Journey  through  Persia , tyc., 
p.  115. 

MARKS  OF  RESPECT,  KISSING  THE  FEET,  KNEES, 
ROBE,  BEARD,  Etc. 

Matthew  xviii.  26-29. 

“ The  servant  therefore  fell  down,  and  worshipped 

him And  his  fellow-servant  fell  down  at  his  feet, 

and  besought  him.” — See  Luke  viii.  41  ; Mark  vii.  25. 

Luke  v.  8. 

. . . . “ He  fell  down  at  Jesus’s  knee,” 

Luke  viii.  44. 

. . . . “ (She)  touched  the  border  of  his  garment.” — 
Zech.  viii.  23. 

Luke  vii.  45. 

“ Thou  gavest  me  no  kiss.” 

2 Samuel  xx.  9. 

“ And,  Joab,  took  Amasa  by  the  beard  with  the  right 
hand,  to  kiss  him.” 

Genesis  xxxiii.  4. 

“ And  Esau  ran  to  meet  him,  and  embraced  him,  and 
fell  on  his  neck,  and  kissed  him : and  they  wept.” 


MARKS  OF  RESPECT. 


93 


Genesis  xlv.  14. 

“ And  he  fell  upon  his  brother  Benjamin’s  neck,  and 
wept ; and  Benjamin  wept  upon  his  neck.” — See  Acts 
xx.  37  ; Luke  xv.  20. 

Inferiors  among  the  Arabs,  out  of  deference  and 
respect,  kiss  the  feet,  the  knees,  or  the  garments  of 
their  superiors — and  the  women  that  wait  on  the  Arab 
princesses  sometimes  kiss  the  border  of  their  robe.  An 


Eastern  traveller  who  attended  an  English  consul  on  a 
visit  to  the  chief  of  Tripoli,  says  that  the  two  interpreters 
of  the  consul  kissed  the  chief’s  garment,  and  put  it  to 
their  foreheads.  To  kiss  the  hand  of  a superior  is  like- 
wise a mark  of  reverence — as  is  also  kissing  the  beard, 
as  Joab  did. 


94 


MARKS  OF  RESPECT, 


More  intimate  relations,  and  those  of  equal  age  and 
dignity,  mutually  kiss  the  hand,  head,  or  shoulder.  “ It 
was  interesting,”  observes  a traveller,  speaking  of  the 
friendly  tribes  of  Arabs,  “ to  see  their  meeting  in  the 
desert : from  their  wandering  habit  of  life,  and  their 
frequent  and  distant  journeys,  they  seldom  meet ; but 
when  they  do,  the  pressing  of  the  hand  to  the  heart, 
the  kiss  on  the  cheek,  the  passionate  exclamations  and 
gestures  of  joy,  prove  the  sincerity  and  fervor  of  their 
feelings.” — See  Harmer's  Observations , vol.  ii.,  pp 
325-327,  345-347  ; and  Game's  Eastern  Letters , p 
206. 


KISSING  THE  HAND. 

Job  xxxi.  26,  27. 

“ If  I beheld  the  sun  when  it  shined,  or  the  moon 
walking  in  brightness,  and  my  heart  hath  been  secretly 
enticed,  or  my  mouth  hath  kissed  my  hand.” 

Sometimes  in  the  East,  when  an  inferior  comes  to 
pay  his  respects  to  a superior,  he  takes  the  superior’s 
hand,  and  kisses  it,  putting  it  afterward  to  his  forehead. 
In  their  religious  worship,  the  Mahometans  begin 
with  bringing  their  two  thumbs  together,  and  kissing 
them  three  times,  and  at  every  kiss  touching  their  fore- 
heads with  their  thumbs.  When  they  cannot  kiss  the 
hand  of  a superior,  they  kiss  their  own,  and  put  it  to 
their  foreheads. 

They  venerate  an  unseen  being  whom  they  cannot 
touch,  in  much  the  same  manner ; and  the  ancient 
idolators  also  thus  worshipped  beings  they  could  not 
touch.  It  is  to  this  that  Job  refers,  If  my  mouth 
hath  kissed  my  hand,”  in  worship  of  the  host  of  heaven. 
— Pitt's  Account  of  the  Mahometans.  See  Harmer's 
Observations , vol.  ii.,  pp.  339,  340. 

This  mode  of  paying  adoration,  by  kissing  the  hand  is 
mentioned  and  described  by  Pliny. — Nat.  Hist.,  xxviii.  2. 


KISSING  THE  GROUND. 


95 


KISSING  THE  GROUND. 

Psalm  lxxii.  9. 

“ They  that  dwell  in  the  wilderness  shall  bow  before 
him ; and  his  enemies  shall  lick  the  dust.” 

Isaiah  xlix.  23. 

“ Kings  shall  be  thy  nursing-fathers,  and  their  queens 
thy  nursing-mothers  : they  shall  bow  down  to  thee  with 
their  face  toward  the  earth,  and  lick  up  the  dust  of  thy 
feet.” 


It  is  usual  among  the  Persians  to  pay  homage  to 
their  sovereign  by  kissing  the  earth,  or  touching  it  with 
their  foreheads  ; and  when  one  prince  has  been  con- 
quered by  another,  the  same  custom  is  observed,  as  a 


96 


KISSING  THE  GROUND. 


token  of  submission  and  vassalage.  An  Eastern  prince 
who  had  been  conquered,  one  day  threw  himself  on  the 
ground,  and  kissed  the  prints  that  his  victorious  enemy’s 
horse  had  made  there,  repeating  some  verses  in  Persian 
to  this  effect,  “ While  I shall  have  the  happiness  to 
kiss  the  dust  of  your  feet,  I shall  think  that  fortune  fa- 
vors me,”  &c. 

Thus  we  read  in  the  Psalms  that  even  the  wild  Arabs, 
whom  the  greatest  earthly  conquerors  could  never  tame, 
shall  bow  before  the  Lord  of  glory  ; yea,  they  shall 
become  his  vassals,  and  his  enemies  shall  lick  the  dust, 
— See  Harmer's  Observations , vol.  ii.,  pp.  335-338 

CONCEALING  THE  FEET. 

Isaiah  vi.  2. 

“ Above  it  stood  the  seraphims  : each  one  had  six 
wings  ; with  twain  he  covered  his  face,  and  with  twain 
he  covered  his  feet,  and  with  twain  he  did  fly.” 

“ When  a person  sits  down  in  the  East,”  writes  Sir 
J.  Chardin,  “ it  is  a great  mark  of  respect  to  conceal 
his  feet,  and  to  look  down  on  the  ground.  When  the 
sovereign  shows  himself  in  China  and  Japan,  every  one 
casts  his  looks  on  the  earth,  and  no  one  is  permitted  to 
look  on  the  king.” 

HOLDING  THE  FEET. 

Matthew  xxviii.  9. 

“ They  came  and  held  him  by  the  feet,  and  worship- 
ped him.” 

“ Exactly  this  kind  of  reverence  may  be  seen  daily 
among  the  Hindoos.  A Hindoo  disciple,  meeting  his 
religious  guide  in  the  public  street,  prostrates  himself 
before  him,  and  rubs  the  dust  of  his  feet  on  his  forehead 
and  breast.” — Ward's  View  of  the  Hindoos. 


97 


PUTTING  OFF  THE  SHOES. 

Psalm  lx.  8. 

w Over  Edom  will  I cast  out  my  shoe.” 

Exodus  iii.  5. 

“ Put  off  thy  shoes  from  off  thy  feet,  for  the  place 
whereon  thou  standest  is  holy  ground.” 


The  casting  off  the  shoe  in  ancient  times,  in  the  East, 
was  a sign  of  dominion.  To  put  off  their  shoes,  was  a 
mark  of  reverence.  Maundrell  was  obliged,  in  some 
cases  where  he  visited  private  individuals,  to  comply 
with  this  custom.  Another  traveller  says,  that,  at  the 
doors  of  an  Indian  pagoda,  as  many  slippers  and  sandals 
are  seen  as  there  are  hats  hanging  up  in  our  churches. 

9 


98 


PUTTING  OFF  THE  SHOES. 


The  Egyptians,  also,  do  not  permit  any  one  to  enter 
their  temples  with  shoes  on,  because  shoes  being  made 
of  the  skin  of  dead  animals  are  regarded  as  polluting 
them  ; and  the  Turks  always  leave  their  shoes  at  the 
entrance  of  their  mosques. 

DISMOUNTING. 

Genesis  xxiv.  64. 

“ And  when  she  saw  Isaac,  she  lighted  off  the  camel.” 
1 Samuel  xxv.  23. 

“ And  when  Abigail  saw  David,  she  hasted,  and  light- 
ed off  the  ass.”  (See  2 Kings  v.  21  ; Judges  i.  14.) 

The  alighting  of  those  that  ride,  is  considered  in 
the  East  as  an  expression  of  deep  respect.  Niebuhr 
observes,  that  meeting  an  Arab  lady  riding  on  a camel, 
accompanied  by  one  domestic,  she,  in  order  to  testify 
her  respect  for  the  sheiks  who  were  with  him,  rode  out 
of  the  path,  then  alighted,  and  passed  by  them  on  foot. 
Dr.  Chandler  writes,  “ We  met  a Turk,  a person  of 
distinction,  as  appeared  by  his  turban.  Our  janizary 
and  Armenians  respectfully  alighted,  and  made  him  a 
profound  obeisance,  the  former  kissing  the  rim  of  his 
garment.” — Harmer's  Observations , vol.  ii.,  pp,  324, 
351,  352. 

TOKEN  OF  FRIENDSHIP. 

Revelation  ii.  17. 

“ To  him  that  overcometh  will  I give  ....  a white 
stone,  and  in  the  stone  a new  name  written,  which  no 
man  knoweth  saving  he  that  receiveth  it.” 

Revelation  xix.  12. 

“ On  his  head  were  many  crowns  ; and  he  had  a name 
written,  that  no  man  knew,  but  he  himself.” 

The  following  is  from  the  Rev.  H.  BlunVs  Lectures 
See  pages  94,  95. 


TOKEN  OF  FRIENDSHIP. 


99 


on  the  Seven  Churches  : — “ In  primitive  times,  when 
travelling  was  rendered  difficult  by  the  want  of  places 
of  public  entertainment,  hospitality  was  exercised  by 
private  individuals  to  a very  great  extent.  Persons  who 
had  partaken  of  this  hospitality,  and  those  who  practised 
it,  frequently  contracted  habits  of  regard  and  friendship 
for  each  other  ; and  it  became  a well-established  custom, 
both  among  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  to  provide  their 
guests  with  some  particular  mark,  which  was  handed 
down  from  father  to  son,  and  insured  hospitality  and 
kind  treatment  wherever  it  was  presented.  This  mark 
was  usually  a small  stone  or  pebble,  cut  in  half,  and 
upon  the  halves  of  which,  the  host  and  the  guest  mu- 
tually inscribed  their  names,  and  then  interchanged  them 
with  each  other.  The  production  of  this  stone  was 
quite  sufficient  to  insure  friendship  for  themselves  or 
their  descendants,  whenever  they  travelled  again  in  the 
same  direction ; while  it  is  evident,  that  these  stones 
required  to  be  privately  kept,  and  the  name  written 
upon  them  carefully  concealed,  lest  others  should  obtain 
the  privileges,  instead  of  him  for  whom  they  were 
intended.  How  natural,  then,  is  the  allusion  to  this 
custom  in  the  words,  ‘ I will  give  to  him  to  eat  of  the 
hidden  manna and  having  done  so,  having  recognised 
him  as  my  guest,  my  friend,  I will  give  him  a white 
stone,  and  in  the  stone  a new  name  written,  which  no 
man  knoweth  saving  he  that  receiveth  it ; a pledge  of 
my  friendship,  sacred  and  inviolable,  known  only  to 
himself.” 

More  probable  however,  is  the  explanation  of  the 
celebrated  Dr.  Hammond  : “ In  popular  judicatures,  or 
elections  in  Greece,  it  was  the  custom  to  give  the  votes 
by  stones.  These  were  either  white,  or  black ; the  white 
was  a token  of  absolution  or  approbation, — the  black  of 
condemnation  or  rejection.  In  the  public  games,  also, 
these  stones  were  used  ; the  victor’s  reward  being  as- 
signed to  him  by  a white  stone,  whereon  was  inscribed 
his  name,  and  the  value  of  the  prize. 


100 


TOKEN  OF  FRIENDSHIP. 


So  to  him  who  shall  be  found  in  Christ  at  his  coming, 
washed  in  his  blood,  and  clothed  in  his  righteousness, 
having  run  the  heavenly  race,  and  fought  the  good  fight 
of  faith,  and  overcome  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and 
by  the  word  of  his  testimony,  will  Christ  give  a “ white 
stone”  (in  token  of  justification,  acceptance,  and  ap- 
proval) ; the  name  written  thereon,  and  the  excellence  of 
the  reward,  being  known  only  to  him  who  receives  it. 

“ In  chapter  xix.,  the  victory  of  Christ  himself  over  the 
kingdoms  of  the  earth  is  associated  with  the  same  idea 
of  the  white  stone  ; for  he  is  first  said  to  have  “ many 
crowns”  on  his  head  (each  a token  of  his  victory  over 
some  one  kingdom),  and  then  to  have  a name  written 
that  no  man  knew  but  he  himself ; that  is,  a white  stone, 
the  token  of  his  victory,  and  whereby  he  is  to  receive 
his  reward,  viz.,  to  be  “ King  of  Kings,  and  Lord  of 
Lords,”  (v.  16.)  Paraphrase  and  Annotations  on  the  New 
Testament , pp.  876,  877. 

PRESENTS  OF  GARMENTS,  Etc.,  A MARK  OF 

GREAT  FAVOR. 

Samuel  xviii.  4. 

“ And  Jonathan  stripped  himself  of  the  robe  that  was 
upon  him,  and  gave  it  to  David,  and  his  garments,  even 
to  his  sword,  and  to  his  bow,  and  to  his  girdle.” 

Esther  vi.  7-9. 

“ For  the  man  whom  the  king  delighteth  to  honor, 
let  the  royal  apparel  be  brought  which  the  king  useth  to 
wear,  ....  that  they  may  array  the  man  withal  whom 
the  king  delighteth  to  honor.” 

When  a treaty  between  Russia  and  Persia  was  con- 
cluded, some  years  since,  in  the  commencement,  accord- 
ing to  the  usual  form,  the  ranks  of  the  two  principal 
persons  who  were  deputed  to  arrange  it  had  to  be  spe- 
cified. The  Russian  general  was  found  to  have  more 
titles  than  the  Persian  plenipotentiary,  who  was  there- 


PRESENTS  OF  GARMENTS. 


101 


fore  at  a loss  how  to  make  himself  appear  of  equal 
importance  with  the  other  negotiator  ; but  at  length, 
recollecting  that,  previous  to  his  departure  for  the  place 
of  conference,  his  sovereign  had  honored  him  by  a 
present  of  one  of  his  own  swords,  and  of  a dagger  set 
with  precious  stones,  to  wear  which  is  a peculiar  dis- 
tinction in  Persia,  and  besides,  had  clothed  him  with  one 
of  his  own  shawl-robes,  a distinction  of  still  greater 
value,  he  therefore  designated  himself  as  “ Endowed 
with  the  special  gifts  of  the  monarch,  lord  of  the  dagger 
set  in  jewels,  of  the  sword  adorned  with  gems,  and  of 
the  shawl- co at  already  worn .” 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  bestowing  of  dresses 
as  a mark  of  honor  among  Eastern  nations,  is  one  of 
the  most  ancient  customs  recorded  both  in  sacred  and 
profane  history.  We  may  learn  how  great  was  the 
distinction  of  giving  a coat  already  worn , by  what  is  said 
of  Jonathan’s  love  for  David,  as  well  as  from  the  history 
of  Mordecai. — Morier’s  Second  Journey  through  Persia , 
Sfc.,  pp.  299,  300.  See  Chap.  Y. 

MARK  OF  AGREEMENT. 

Proverbs  xi.  21. 

“ Though  hand  join  in  hand,  the  wicked  shall  not  be 
unpunished.” 

The  expression,  “ Though  hand  join  in  hand,”  is  in  the 
original,  hand  to  hand,  which  also  agrees  with  the  custom 
actually  prevailing  in  Syria.  When  persons  in  the  East 
greet  each  other,  they  touch  their  right  hands  respect- 
ively, and  then  raise  them  up  to  their  lips  and  forehead. 
This  is  the  universal  Eastern  courtesy,  and  is  used  also 
in  token  of  friendship  and  agreement.  The  sense  there- 
fore is,  “ Though  hand  meet  hand,”  intimating,  that  heart 
assents  to  heart  in  the  perpetration  of  wickedness,  yet 
shall  not  the  wicked  go  unpunished. — Jowett's  Researches 
in  Syria , tfc.,  p.  281. 


9' 


102 


SALUTATIONS. 


SALUTATIONS. 

Psalm  cxxix.  8. 

“ Neither  do  they  which  go  by  say,  The  blessing  of 
the  Lord  be  upon  you ; we  bless  you  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord.” 

u We  wish  you  good  luck  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.”® 

Nothing  could  better  express  the  contemptuous 
neglect  which  David  there  describes  as  falling  upon  the 
wicked,  than  these  words.  This  is,  indeed,  the  land  of 
good  wishes  and  overflowing  compliments.  Every 
passer-by  has  his  “ God  bless  you  !”  Conversation  is 
sometimes  among  strangers  made  up  of  a very  large 
proportion  of  these  phrases  ; for  example, — “ Good 
morning.”  Answer,  “ May  your  day  be  enriched  !” 
“ By  seeing  you.”  “ You  have  enlightened  the  house 
by  your  presence.”  “ Are  you  happy  ?”  “ Happy, 

and  you  also?”  “ Happy.”  “You  are  comfortable,  I 
am  comfortable  ;”  meaning,  <£  I am  comfortable,  if  you 
are.”  These  sentences  are  often  repeated  ; and,  after 
any  pause,  it  is  usual  to  turn  to  your  neighbor,  and 
resume  these  courtesies  many  times.  In  the  southern 
half  of  Palestine,  I subsequently  found  the  ordinary 
salutations  between  persons  on  the  road,  to  be  literally, 
“ Good  luck ;”  to  which  the  person  saluted  replies, 
“ May  God  give  you  good  luck !” — JowetVs  Researches 
in  Syria , c^c.,  pp.  89,  90. 

John  xx.  19. 

££  Then  ....  came  Jesus  and  stood  in  the  midst, 
and  saith  unto  them,  Peace  be  unto  you.” 

John  xiv.  27. 

“Peace  I leave  with  you,  my  peace  I give  unto  you : 
not  as  the  world  giveth,  give  I unto  you.” 


* Prayer-book  version* 


SALUTATIONS. 


103 


2 Kings  iv.  29. 

“ Then  he  said  to  Gehazi,  Gird  up  thy  loins,  and  take 
my  staff  in  thine  hand,  and  go  thy  way : if  thou  meet 
any  man,  salute  him  not ; and  if  any  salute  thee,  answer 
him  not  again : and  lay  my  staff  upon  the  face  of  the 
child.” 

Luke  x.  4. 

“ Carry  neither  purse,  nor  scrip,  nor  shoes  : and  salute 
no  man  by  the  way.” 

The  common  Eastern  salutation  is,  “ Peace  be  with 
you ;”  the  speaker  laying  his  right  hand  upon  his  heart. 
The  answer  is,  “ With  you  be  peace.”  Aged  people 
are  inclined  to  add,  “ And  the  mercy  and  blessing  of 
God.”  A traveller  in  the  desert*  writes  : “ Through 
all  the  route  we  had  met  few  passengers.  One  or  two 
caravans,  or  a lonely  wanderer  with  his  camel,  had 
passed  at  times,  and  given  us  the  usual  salute  of  ‘ Peace 
be  unto  you !’  Our  blessed  Lord,  therefore,  gave  the 
usual  salutation  to  his  disciples  ; and  since  the  saluta- 
tions of  the  world  in  general  are  too  apt  to  be  mere  forms, 
he  adds,  that  he  gave  them  a real , and  not  a fleeting 
blessing,  ‘Not  as  the  world  giveth  give  I unto  you.’  ” 

The  Mahometans  of  Egypt  and  Syria  never  salute 
a Christian  with  “ Peace  be  with  you  ;”  they  content 
themselves  with  saying,  “ Good-day  to  you,”  or  “Friend, 
how  do  you  do  ?”  and  of  this  the  Christians  are  perhaps 
themselves  the  cause  ; for  a traveller  relates,  that  the 
Greek  merchants  did  not  seem  at  all  pleased  with  his 
saluting  Mahometans  in  the  Mahometan  manner.  In 
the  like  spirit  the  Roman  catholics  of  some  provinces 
of  Germany  never  address  the  protestants  that  live 
among  them  with  the  form  common  among  themselves, 
namely,  “ Jesus  Christ  be  praised  ;”  and  when  such 
a thing  happens  by  mistake,  the  protestants  never  re- 
turn it  after  the  manner  in  use  among  Roman  catho- 
lics, “ For  ever  and  ever,  Amen!”  After  this,  the  words 

* Mr.  Came.  See  his  “ Letters,”  p.  180. 


104 


SALUTATIONS. 


of  our  Lord  in  Matthew  v.  47,  need  no  further  com- 
mentary. The  Jews  would  not  address  the  wonted 
greeting  to  either  heathens  or  publicans  ; the  publicans 
would  use  it  to  their  countrymen  who  were  publicans, 
but  not  to  heathens. 

The  Eastern  salutations  often  took  up  much  time. 
In  Egypt  the  common  people  reciprocally  clap  each 
other’s  hands  when  they  meet,  twenty  or  thirty  times 
together,  saying,  “ How  do  you  do  ?”  “ I wish  you  good 
health  and  then  ask  many  friendly  questions  about 
each  other’s  family,  &c.,  mentioning  the  names  of  the 
children.  Elisha,  therefore,  who  was  anxious  for  the 
immediate  recovery  of  the  Shunamite’s  son,  bade  Ge- 
hazi  not  to  tarry  to  salute  those  he  met.  When  our  Sav- 
ior gave  his  disciples  the  same  command,  he  may  have 
meant  that  they  should  not  delay  the  work  on  which 
they  were  sent. — Niebuhr ; and  Maillet's  Description  de 
V Egypt ; see  Harmer's  Observations , vol.  ii.,  pp.  319— 
323. 


105 


CHAPTER  Y. 


Presents — to  Friends  and  Relations — Great  Men — Public 
Dancers. 

PRESENTS. 

1 Samuel  ix.  7. 

“ But,  behold,  if  we  go,  what  shall  we  bring  the  man  ? 
for  the  bread  is  spent  in  our  vessels,  and  there  is  not  a 
present  to  bring  to  the  man  of  God  : what  have  we  ?” 

Presenting  gifts  is  one  of  the  most  general  cus- 
toms in  the  East ; they  are  pledges  of  mutual  friend- 
ship, so  that  the  son  of  Sirach  says,  “ Be  ashamed  of 
scorning  to  give  and  take  and  so  essential  are  they  to 
civil  intercourse,  however  small  in  value,  that  a travel- 
ler mentions  that  when  he  consented  to  convey  a poor 
sick  man  to  the  place  of  his  destination,  the  poor  crea- 
ture presented  him  with  a dirty  cloth,  containing  about 
ten  dates ! 

All  great  men  expect  a present  from  an  inferior  who 
visits  them,  as  a token  of  respect ; whether  it  be  a 
flower,  or  whether  it  be  an  orange,  something  you  must 
bring.  Princes  often  present  sums  of  money  in  return 
for  gifts,  to  ambassadors,  or  strangers  of  distinction,  as 
Joseph  did  to  Benjamin.  (Gen.  xlv.  22.)  Silver  and 
gold,  raiment  of  various  kinds,  are  common  offerings  to 
those  eminent  for  learning  and  piety.  Such  gifts 
Naaman  had  prepared  for  Elisha.  (2  Kings  v.  5.)  An 
Eastern  poet  of  the  ninth  century,  had  so  many  presents 
given  him,  that  he  was  possessed  of  a hundred  com- 
plete suits  of  clothes,  two  hundred  shirts,  and  five  hun- 
dred turbans  ! As  the  Eastern  fashions  never  alter. 


106 


PRESENTS. 


it  is  customary  to  make  immense  collections  of  furniture 
and  clothes,  which  are  heaped  up  in  wardrobes,  as  mud 
is  heaped  up  in  the  streets  (Job  xxvii.  16),  for  mortar  in 
building.  Vessels  for  eating  and  drinking  are  still  pre- 
sented along  with  provisions,  as  in  David’s  time  (2  Sam. 
xvii.  28,  29),  and  princes  still  expect  to  be  furnished 
with  provisions  in  time  of  need,  as  Barzillai  and  others 
supplied  David  at  Mahanaim ; and  as  such  assistance 
is  a token  of  respect,  and  acknowledgment  of  the  prince’s 
authority,  so  to  refuse  it  would  be  as  great  an  insult  now, 
as  it  was  in  Saul’s  and  Gideon’s  days.  (1  Sam.  x.  27 ; 
Judges  viii.  5,  8,  16,  17.) 

The  visits  of  friends  and  relations  are  often  from 
three  to  eight  days  in  duration,  and  the  whole  family 
often  go  together  ; they  therefore  send  before  them  pres- 
ents of  food  suited  to  their  rank  and  number.  The  wife 
of  Jeroboam  acted  something  in  this  way  when  she  went 
to  visit  Abijah.  (See  1 Kings  xiv.  3.) 

Horses  are  frequently  offered  as  presents  to  great 
men : and  probably  asses  (which  are  still  much  used  in 
Persia)  were  formerly  ; thus  Samuel  (xii.  3),  and  Moses 
(Numbers  xvi.  15),  ask  of  the  people  of  Israel,  whose 
ass  they  had  taken,  that  is,  for  riding  on.  Presents  are 
sometimes  very  expensive  in  the  East,  and  are  accom- 
panied with  great  pomp  and  parade  ; those  gifts  which 
are  carried  to  the  house  of  a bridegroom,  and  which 
might  be  borne  by  one  horse,  are  laid  upon  four  or  five, 
and  jewels  which  one  plate  would  hold,  are  placed  in 
fifteen.  Alluding  to  this,  we  read  in  Judges  iii.  18,  of 
making  an  end  of  offering  the  present,  and  of  a number 
of  people  that  bare  it,  and  thus  the  presents  Benhadad 
sent  to  Elisha  were  borne  by  forty  camels.  Presents 
sent  to  powerful  princes  are  often  regarded  as  a kind  of 
tribute,  and  acknowledgment  of  subjection,  as  in  Psalm 
lxxii.  10.  The  rich  clothes  of  some  of  the  Turkish 
officers  of  Tripoli,  and  those  of  their  wives,  are  com- 
monly given  them  by  those  that  have  causes  depending 
upon  them,  to  induce  them  to  be  favorable  to  their 


PRESENTS. 


107 


cause,  and  thus  Amos  complains  (ii.  6),  that  the  Jewish 
judges  were  so  corrupt  that  a little  silver,  and  even  so 
mean  a piece  of  finery  as  shoes  (the  wooden  sandals, 
perhaps,  worn  by  Eastern  ladies,  and  which  are  a very 
trifling  article),  would  make  them  pervert  the  judgment 
of  the  poor  and  righteous  ; and  in  chapter  viii.  6,  he 
represents  the  rich  as  defrauding  the  poor,  for  they  knew 
that  if  those  poor  complained,  they  could  carry  their 
point  against  them  for  silver,  and  even  for  a pair  of 
shoes. — See  Bruce's  and  MaundrelV s Travels , and  Har- 
mer's  Observations , vol.  ii.  pp.  514,  519,  290,  297,  298- 
300,  302-304,  295,  296,  314,  304-309. 

The  kings  of  Persia  have  great  wardrobes,  where 
there  are  always  many  hundreds  of  habits  ready,  de- 
signed for  presents,  and  sorted.  They  pay  great  atten- 
tion to  the  quality  or  merit  of  those  to  whom  these  vest- 
ments or  habits  are  given  ; those  that  are  given  to  the 
great  men  have  as  much  difference  as  there  is  between 
the  degrees  of  honor  they  possess  in  the  state. — Sir  J . 
Chardin  ; Harmer’s  Observations , vol.  ii.,  p.  382. 

The  presents  sent  by  Cambyses,  king  of  Persia,  to 
the  Ethiopian  sovereign,  consisted  of  a purple  vest,  a 
gold  chain  for  the  neck,  bracelets,  an  alabaster-box  of 
perfumes  (see  St.  Mark  xiv.  3),  and  a cask  of  wine. — • 
Herodotus , bk.  iii.,  20. 


PRESENTS  GIVEN  TO  PUBLIC  DANCERS. 

Matthew  xiv.  7. 

“ He  promised  with  an  oath  to  give  her  whatsoever 
she  would  ask.” 

In  the  East  it  is  customary  for  public  dancers  at 
festivals  in  great  houses,  to  solicit  from  the  company 
they  have  been  entertaining,  such  rewards  as  the  spec- 
tators may  choose  to  bestow.  These  usually  are  small 


i 08 


PRESENTS  GIVEN  TO  PUBLIC  DA.NCERS. 


pieces  of  money  which  the  donor  sticks  on  the  face  of 
the  performer.  A favorite  dancer  will  have  her  face 
covered  with  such  presents.  The  silver  charger  is  char- 
acteristic in  this  history  of  the  beheading  of  John.  By 
an  ancient  custom  in  Persia,  the  queen  had  a right,  on 
the  king’s  birth-day,  to  demand  of  him  any  favor  that 
she  thought  proper. 


109 


CHAPTER  YI. 


Dress — Flowing  Garments — Hyke — Tunic — Party-Colored  Gar- 
ments— Arab  Cloak — Wedding  Garment — Face-Veil — Orna- 
ments— Painting  the  eyes — Shaving  the  Beard — Horns — Splen- 
dor of  the  Eastern  Dresses. 


DRESS— FLOWING  GARMENTS. 

Isaiah  lii.  2,  10. 

“ Shake  thyself  from  the  dust ; arise,  and  sit  down, 
O Jerusalem.” 

“ The  Lord  hath  made  bare  his  holy  arm  in  the  eyes 
of  all  the  nations  ; and  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  shall 
see  the  salvation  of  our  God.” 

The  use  of  the  Oriental  dress  (writes  Mr.  Jowett), 
which  I now  wear,  brings  to  the  mind  various  Scripture 
illustrations,  of  which  I will  onlv  mention  two.  The 
10 


110 


DRESS FLOWING  GARMENTS* 


figure,  “ The  Lord  hath  made  bare  his  holy  arm,”  is 
most  lively  ; for  the  loose  sleeve  of  the  Arab  shirt,  as 
well  as  that  of  the  outer  garment,  leaves  the  arm  so 
completely  free,  that  in  an  instant  the  left  hand  passing 
up  the  right  arm  makes  it  bare  ; and  this  is  done  when 
a person,  a soldier  for  example,  is  about  to  strike  with 
the  sword,  in  order  to  give  his  right  arm  full  play. 
The  image  represents  Jehovah  as  suddenly  prepared  to 
inflict  some  tremendous  yet  righteous  judgment,  so  ef- 
fectual, that  all  the  ends  of  the  world  shall  see  the  sal- 
vation of  God. 

The  other  point  illustrated  occurs  in  the  second  verse 
of  the  same  chapter  (Isaiah  lii.),  where  the  sense  of  the 
last  expression  is,  to  an  Oriental,  extremely  natural. 
“ Shake  thyself  from  the  dust ; arise,  and  sit  down,  O 
Jerusalem !”  It  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  see  an  indi- 
vidual, or  a group  of  persons,  even  when  very  well 
dressed,  sitting  with  their  feet  drawm  under  them,  upon 
the  bare  earth,  passing  whole  hours  in  idle  conversation  ; 
people  in  Europe  would  require  a chair,  but  the  natives 
here  prefer  the  ground.  A person  of  rank  in  the  East 
often  sits  down  upon  the  ground,  with  his  attendants 
about  him.  In  the  heat  of  summer  it  is  pleasant  to  see 
them  while  away  their  time  in  this  manner  under  the 
shade  of  a tree.  Richly-adorned  females,  as  well  as 
men,  may  be  often  seen  thus  amusing  themselves.  As 
may  naturally  be  expected,  with  whatever  care,  at  first 
sitting  down,  they  choose  their  place,  yet  the  flowing 
dress  by  degrees  gathers  up  the  dust.  As  this  occurs, 
they,  from  time  to  time,  arise,  adjust  themselves,  shake 
off  the  dust,  and  then  sit  down  again.  The  captive 
daughter  of  Zion,  therefore,  brought  down  to  the  dust 
of  suffering  and  oppression,  is  commanded  to  arise  and 
shake  herself  from  that  dust,  and  with  grace,  and  dignity, 
and  composure,  and  security,  to  sit  down,  to  take,  as  it 
were,  again  her  seat  and  her  rank  amid  the  company  of 
the  nations  of  the  earth,  which  had  before  afflicted,  and 
trampled  on  her. — See  Jowetfs  Christian  Researches , pp. 
282,  283. 


Ill 


THE  HYKE,  OR  UPPER  GARMENT. 

Deuteronomy  xxiv.  13. 

“ In  any  case  thou  shalt  deliver  him  the  pledge  again 
when  the  sun  goeth  down,  that  he  may  sleep  in  his  own 
raiment,  and  bless  thee.” 

The  raiment  here  referred  to  was  most  likely  the 
same  as  the  hyke  of  the  Arabs,  a long  kind  of  blanket, 
resembling  a highland  plaid,  generally  about  six  yards 
in  length,  and  five  or  six  feet  broad,  in  which  they  often 
carry  provisions,  as  well  as  wrap  themselves  in,  in  the 
day,  and  sleep  in  at  night,  it  being  their  only  substitute 
for  a bed.  The  nights,  indeed,  being  cold  in  the  Holy 
Land,  render  such  a garment  necessary  ; and  therefore 
God  mercifully  ordered  it  to  be  restored  to  the  poor 
man,  before  the  going  down  of  the  sun  announced  the 
hour  of  repose. — Shaw's  Travels , pp.  289,  290. 

Exodus  xii.  11. 

“ And  thus  shall  ye  eat  it ; with  your  loins  girded , 
your  shoes  on  your  feet , and  your  staff  in  your  hand ; and 
ye  shall  eat  it  in  haste."  (See  whole  chapter.) 

Luke  xii.  35-37. 

“ Let  your  loins  he  girded  about , and  ye  your- 
selves like  unto  men  that  wait  for  their  lord, that 

when  he  cometh  and  knocketh,  they  may  open  unto  him 
immediately.  Blessed  are  those  servants,  who  the  Lord 
when  he  cometh  shall  find  watching : verily  I say  unto 
you,  that  he  shall  gird  himself  and  make  them  to  sit 
down  to  meat,  and  will  come  forth  and  serve  them.” 

The  dress  of  the  Eastern  people  is  a long  loose  vest, 
reaching  down  to  the  calf  of  the  leg. 

Such  a garment  is  troublesome  to  the  wearers,  when 
engaged  in  active  pursuits  ; they  therefore  fasten  it  upon 
the  loins  with  a girdle,  which  goes  three  or  four  times 


112 


THE  HYKE  OR  UPPER  GARMENT. 


round  them  ; and  when  they  are  travelling , or  otherwise 
diligently  occupied,  they  tuck  up  the  fore  parts  of  the 
vest  into  the  girdle,  and  so  fasten  them.  And  this  is, 
probably,  what  is  more  particularly  meant  by  “ girding 
the  loins  for  the  knee  being  unburthened  by  the  vest, 
walking  is  more  commodious,  and  therefore  the  Israel- 
ites, who  were  to  eat  the  passover  in  haste,  preparatory 
to  leaving  Egypt,  were  ordered  to  have  their  loins  gird- 
ed, ready  for  their  journey.  Their  shoes,  too,  were  to 
be  on  their  feet,  for  the  same  purpose  (generally,  the 
Eastern  people  put  them  off  before  meals),  and  their 
staffs  (with  which  in  the  East  it  is  common  to  travel 
on  foot),  in  their  hands.  In  like  manner  Christ’s  serv- 
ants are  not  to  be  careless  and  inactive,  but  to  be  dili- 
gent, and  watchful,  ready  to  meet  him. — Sir  J.  Char - 
din’s  MSS.  See  Harmer’s  Observations , vol.  ii.,  pp. 
210,  211. 


TUNICS. 

John  xiii.  4. 

“ He  riseth  from  supper,  and  laid  aside  his  garments.” 
1 Samuel  xix.  23. 

“ (He)  lay  down  naked  all  that  day  and  all  that  night.” 
(See  Mark  xiv.  51  ; Matthew  xxi.  8 ; John  xxi.  7 ; Acts 
xii.  8.) 

These  hykes  were  often  thrown  aside  by  the  wear- 
ers, for  convenience.  Under  them  were  worn  a sort  of 
cloak,  called  Burnoose,  made  of  one  piece,  strait  about 
the  neck,  and  wide  below  like  a cloak.  Of  this  kind, 
probably,  was  the  coat  of  our  Savior,  which  was  woven 
without  a seam.  The  expressions,  laying  aside  the  gar- 
ments, and  being  naked,  mean  the  putting  off  of  the 
hykes  and  burnooses,  and  merely  wearing  the  tunic,  or 
close-bodied  frock ; and  it  was  their  hykes  that  the  peo- 
ple spread  before  our  Lord,  when  he  entered  Jerusalem. 
— Shaw’s  Travels , pp.  290-292. 


TUNICS. 


113 


Luke  vi.  38. 

*c  Give,  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you  ; good  measure, 
pressed  down,  and  shaken  together,  shall  men  give  into 
your  bosom.” 

Almost  all  ancient  nations,  and  particularly  those 
of  the  East,  wore  long,  wide,  and  loose  garments  ; and 
when  about  to  carry  away  anything  that  their  hands 
could  not  contain,  they  used  a fold  in  the  bosom  of  their 
robe,  nearly  in  the  same  way  that  women  in  England 
use  their  aprons.  An  old  Greek  writer*  relates  a story 
of  a man  named  Alcmaeon,  who,  having  been  promised 
by  the  rich  king  Croesus,  that  he  should  have  as  much 
gold  as  he  could  carry  about  his  body  at  once,  put  on  a 
very  wide  tunic,  leaving  a great  space  in  the  bosom,  and 
also  the  widest  buskins  he  could  procure.  Being  con- 
ducted into  the  treasury,  he  stuffed  first  the  buskins, 
and  then  his  whole  bosom , with  money,  and  having 
afterward  loaded  his  hair,  and  filled  his  mouth  with  the 
same,  walked  out  of  the  treasury,  his  appearance  scarcely 
retaining  that  of  a human  form.  The  story  illustrates 
the  use  of  the  word  bosom. — See  Harmer's  Observations, 
vol.  i.,  pp.  66,  67. 

PARTY-COLORED  GARMENTS. 

2 Samuel  xiii.  18. 

“ And  she  had  a garment  of  divers  colors  upon  her  : 
for  with  such  robes  were  the  king’s  daughters  that  were 
virgins  apparelled.” 

Genesis  xxxvii.  3 

“ Now  Israel  loved  Joseph, and  he  made  him  a 

coat  of  many  colors.” 

Judges  v.  30. 

“ To  Sisera  a prey  of  divers  colors,  a prey  of  divers 
colors  of  needlework,  of  divers  colors  of  needlework 

* Herodotus,  vi.  125. 

10* 


114 


PARTY-COLORED  GARMENTS. 


on  both  sides,  meet  for  the  necks  of  them  that  take  the 
spoil  ?” 

Party-colored  garments  were  esteemed  a mark  of 
honor  in  the  East.  They  wear  there  shirts  of  linen, 
cotton,  or  gauze  under  their  tunics.  The  sleeves  of 
their  shirts  are  wide  and  open,  and  those  of  the  women 
particularly  are  oftentimes  of  the  richest  gauze,  adorned 
with  different  colored  ribands,  sewed  to  each  other. 

The  Eastern  warriors,  also,  though  rough  in  their 
manners,  are  often  gorgeously  dressed.  The  Eastern 
ladies  pass  their  time  at  their  looms,  embroidering  veils 
and  robes  ; and  these  last,  which  answer  to  our  cloaks, 
sit  very  straight  about  the  neck.  Such  a one  the  wife 
of  Sisera  alludes  to,  as  fit  for  the  neck  of  her  husband, 
whom  she  expected  to  return  in  triumph. — See  Har- 
mer's  Observations , vol  ii.,  pp.  385,  386,  387. 


ARAB  CLOAK. 

John  xix.  23. 

“ Then  the  soldiers,  when  they  had  crucified  Jesus, 
took  his  garments,  and  made  four  parts,  to  every  soldier 
a part  : and  also  his  coat : now  the  coat  was  without 
seam,  woven  from  the  top  throughout.” 

The  Arabs  wear  a cloak  of  very  coarse  and  heavy 
cameFs-hair  cloth,  almost  universally  decorated  with 
black  and  white  stripes,  passing  vertically  down  the  back: 
this  is  of  one  square  piece,  with  holes  for  the  arms.  It 
has  a seam  down  the  back.  Made  without  this  seam, 
it  is  considered  of  greater  value.  Here,  then,  perhaps, 
we  behold  the  form  and  materials  of  our  Savior’s  gar- 
ment, for  which  the  soldier  cast  lots  ; being  “ without 
seam,  woven  from  the  top  throughout.”  It  was  the  most 
ancient  dress  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  country. — Dr. 
Clarke's  Travels , vol.  iv.,  p.  158. 


FACE-VEIL. 


115 


FACE-VEIL. 

Genesis  xxiv.  65. 

c‘  She  took  a veil,  and  covered  herself.” 

The  face-veil  is  a long  strip  of  white  muslin,  con- 
cealing the  whole  of  the  face  except  the  eyes,  and 
reaching  nearly  to  the  feet.  It  is  suspended  at  the  top 


by  a narrow  band,  which  passes  up  the  forehead,  and 
which  is  sewed,  as  are  also  the  two  upper  corners  of  the 
veil,  to  a band  that  is  tied  round  the  head.  The  veil  is 
of  very  remote  antiquity.— Lane’.?  Modern  Egyptians , 
vol.  i.,  pp.  51-53. 

WEDDING-GARMENT. 

Matthew  xxii.  11,  12. 

“ And  when  the  king  came  in  to  see  the  guests,  he 
saw  there  a man  which  had  not  on  a wedding-garment ; 
and  he  saith  unto  him,  Friend,  how  earnest  thou  in 
hither  not  having  a wedding-garment  V9 


116 


WEDDING-GARMENT. 


Among  the  Romans,  the  master  of  the  house  often 
piqued  himself  upon  furnishing  his  guests  with  magnifi- 
cent habits.  They  consisted  of  a kind  of  loose  mantles. 
Martial  reproaches  Luscus  with  having  more  than  once 
carried  off  two  from  the  house  where  he  had  supped. 
It  was  also  customary  in  the  East  to  changes  their  robes 
at  feasts.  The  master  of  the  house  gave  one  to  each  of 
his  guests  ; none  were  to  appear  without  it.  Thus,  in 
the  parable  of  the  marriage-feast,  the  guest  who  had  it 
not  was  driven  out  by  order  of  the  king. — See  D'Arnefs 
Life  of  the  Romans , p.  118  ; Dr.  Clarke's  Travels , voL 
iv.,  pp.  66,  67. 

ORNAMENTS. 

Isaiah  iii.  16. 

“ The  daughters  of  Zion  are  haughty,  and  walk  with 
stretched-forth  necks  and  wanton  eyes,  walking  and 
mincing  [tripping]  as  they  go,  and  making  a tinkling 
with  their  feet.’  (Ver.  18.) 

Isaiah  iii.  21. 

“ The  rings,  and  nose-jewels.” 

Exodus  xxxii.  2 ; Ezekiel  xvi.  12. 

“ The  golden  ear-rings.” 

In  Persia,  Arabia,  and  other  hot  countries,  where  the 
people  commonly  wear  no  stockings,  and  only  walk  in 
shoes,  they  have  rings  about  their  ankles,  which  are  full 
of  little  bells.  Children  and  young  girls  take  a partic- 
ular pleasure  in  giving  them  motion,  and  therefore  walk 
quickly. — Sir  J.  Chardin  ; Harmer's  Observations , vol. 
iv.,  p.  305,  note. 

“ In  almost  all  the  East,”  a traveller*  tells  us,  “ the 
women  wear  rings  in  their  noses,  in  the  left  nostril, 
which  is  bored  low  down  in  the  middle.  These  rings 
are  of  gold,  and  have  commonly  two  pearls  and  one 
ruby  between,  placed  in  the  ring.  I never  saw  a girl 
or  young  woman,  in  Arabia  or  Persia,  who  did  not  wear 

* Sir  J.  Chardin. 


ORNAMENTS. 


117 


a ring  after  this  manner  in  her  nostril.”  Where  rings 
for  the  face  are  mentioned  in  Scripture,  this  ornament 
is  probably  often  meant,  as  in  Ezek.  xvi.  12  (marg.) ; 


Gen.  xxiv.  22.  The  women  also  wear  ear-rings,  of  which 
some  are  immensely  large.  They  are  made  of  several 
kinds  of  metal,  horn,  or  wood,  according  to  the  rank  of 
their  owners. — Harmer's  Observations , vol.  iv.,  pp. 
311,  314. 

Genesis  xxiv.  22, 

“ And  it  came  to  pass,  as  the  camels  had  done  drink- 
ing, that  the  man  took  a golden  ear-ring  of  half  a shekel 
weight,  and  two  bracelets  for  her  hands  of  ten  shekels 
weight  of  gold.” 

Judges  viii.  26. 

“ And  the  weight  of  the  golden  ear-rings  that  he  re- 
quested was  a thousand  and  seven  hundred  shekels  of 
gold  ; beside  ornaments,  and  collars , and  purple  raiment 
that  was  on  the  kings  of  Midian,  and  beside  the  chains 
that  were  about  their  camels’  necks.” 


|18 


ORNAMENTS. 


The  ornaments  given  to  Rebecca  appear  to  us  of  enor- 
mous weight,  ten  shekels  being  about  five  ounces.  But 
rings  and  bracelets  as  heavy,  or  even  much  heavier,  are 
worn  through  all  Asia.  The  women  sometimes  have 
their  arms,  from  their  wrist  to  the  elbow,  covered  with 
such  like  ornaments,  those  of  the  poor  being  made  of 
glass  or  horn. — Sir  J.  Chardin  ; Harmer’s  Observations , 
vol.  iv.,  pp.  420,  421. 

When  Cambyses  sent  bracelets  and  a chain  of  gold 
among  his  presents  to  the  prince  of  Ethiopia,  the  latter, 
on  hearing  the  nature  of  those  ornaments  described,  and 
conceiving  them  to  be  chains,  laughed,  and  remarked 
that  the  Ethiopians  possessed  much  stronger.  For 
according  to  the  reports  received  by  Herodotus,  criminals 
in  Ethiopia  were  confined  by  chains  of  gold  ; brass  being 
the  rarest  of  all  metals  in  that  country.  The  weight  of  the 
ancient  bracelets  seems  to  justify  his  sentiment.  It  was 
evidently  an  ornament  of  dignity.  By  the  Roman  generals 
bracelets  were  given  to  their  soldiers  as  a reward  of 
bravery,  and  the  same  among  the  Persians.  The  brace- 
let of  Saul  was  brought  to  David  by  the  Amalekite  : and 
small  chains  were  also  in  the  remotest  times  worn  round 
the  neck,  not  only  by  women,  but  also  by  the  men.  These 
were  probably  the  collars  mentioned  in  Judges  : and  we 
are  expressly  told  by  Herodotus,  that  when  Mardonius, 
the  general  of  Xerxes,  was  selecting  his  army,  he  chose 
the  greater  part  of  those  Persians  who  wore  collars  and 
bracelets  * evidently  signifying  that  those  were  men  of 
merit  and  distinction. 

People  of  consequence  to  this  day  decorate  their  ani- 
mals with  chains  in  Egypt. 

PAINTING  THE  EYES. 

2 Kings  ix.  30. 

“ And  when  Jehu  was  come  to  Jezreel,  Jezebel  heard 
of  it ; and  she  painted  her  face  [her  eyes],  and  tired  her 
head,  and  looked  out  at  a window.” 

Bk.  viii.  113.  See  Ch.  IV.  and  V. 


PAINTING  THE  EYES. 


119 


Ezekiel  xxiii.  40. 

“Ye  have  sent  for  men  to  come  from  far,  unto  whom 
a messenger  was  sent ; and  lo,  they  came  : for  whom 
thou  didst  wash  thyself,  paintedst  thy  eyes,  and  deckedst 
thyself  with  ornaments.” 

There  is  a practice  universal  among  the  females  ol 
the  higher  and  middle  classes  (in  Egypt),  and  very 
common  among  those  of  the  lower  orders,  which  is  that 
of  blackening  the  edge  of  the  eyelids,  both  above  and 
below  the  eye,  with  a black  powder  called  kohhl.  This 
is  composed  of  the  smoke-black  produced  by  burning  a 
kind  of  liban,  an  aromatic  resin.  It  is  also  produced  by 
burning  the  shells  of  almonds.  These  two  kinds  are 
used  merely  for  ornament ; but  there  are  several  used 
for  their  real  or  supposed  medical  properties.  The 
kohhl  is  applied  with  a small  probe  of  wood,  ivory,  or 
silver,  tapering  toward  the  end,  but  blunt.  This  is 
moistened  sometimes  with  rose-water,  then  dipped  in  the 
powder,  and  drawn  along  the  edges  of  the  eyelids'.  It 
is  thought  to  give  a very  soft  expression  to  the  eye,  the 
size  of  which  it  in  appearance  enlarges.  To  which  cir- 
cumstance, probably,  Jeremiah  refers,  when  he  writes, 
“ Though  thou  rentest  thy  face  [or,  thine  eyes ] with 
painting,”  ch.  iv.  30. — See  Lane's  Modern  Egyptians , 
vol.  i.,  pp.  41-43. 

A singular  custom  is  observable  both  among  Moorish 
and  Arab  females — that  of  ornamenting  the  face  between 
the  eyes  with  clusters  of  bluish  spots,  or  other  small 
devices,  and  which,  being  stained,  become  permanent. 
The  chin  is  also  spotted  in  a similar  manner,  and  a 
narrow  blue  line  extends  from  the  point  of  it,  and  is 
continued  down  the  throat.  The  eyelashes,  eyebrows, 
and  also  the  tips  and  extremities  of  the  eyelids,  are 
colored  black.  The  soles,  and  sometimes  other  parts 
of  the  feet  as  high  as  the  ankles,  the  palms  of  the  hands, 
and  the  nails,  are  died  of  a yellowish  red  with  the  leaves 
of  a plant  called  henna,  the  leaf  of  which  somewhat  re* 


120 


PAINTING  THE  EYES. 


sembles  the  myrtle,  and  is  dried  for  the  purposes  above 
mentioned.  The  back  of  the  hand  is  also  often  colored 
and  ornamented  in  this  way  with  different  devices.  On 
holydays  they  paint  their  cheeks  of  a red-brick  color,  a 
narrow  red  line  being  also  drawn  down  the  temples. 


SHAVING  THE  BEARD. 

2 Samuel  x.  4. 

“ Hanun  took  David’s  servants,  and  shaved  off  the 
one-half  of  their  beards.” 

“ This  punishment  has  frequently  been  practised  in 
modern  times,  but  not  so  often  as  the  shaving  the  whole 
of  the  beard.” — Modern  Egyptians , vol.  i.,  p.  32,  note. 

The  beard  is  held  in  high  respect,  and  greatly  valued 
in  the  East : the  possessor  considers  it  as  his  greatest 
ornament ; often  swears  by  it ; and,  in  matters  of  great 
importance,  pledges  it ; and  nothing  can  be  more  secure 
than  such  a pledge,  for  its  owner  will  redeem  it  at  the 
hazard  of  his  life.  The  beard  was  never  cut  off  but  in 
mourning , or  as  a sign  of  slavery.  It  is  customary  to 
shave  the  Ottoman  princes,  as  a mark  of  their  subjection 
to  the  reigning  emperor.  The  beard  is  a mark  of  author- 
ity and  liberty  among  the  Mahometans.  The  Per- 
sians, who  clip  the  beard  and  shave  above  the  jaw,  are 
reputed  heretics.  They  who  serve  in  the  seraglios  have 
their  beards  shaven,  as  a sign  of  servitude  ; nor  do  they 
suffer  them  to  grow  till  the  sultan  has  set  them  at  liberty. 
Among  the  Arabians,  it  is  more  infamous  for  any  one 
to  appear  with  his  beard  cut  off,  than  among  us  to  be 
publicly  whipped  or  branded  ; and  many  would  prefer 
death  to  such  a punishment. — Note  in  the  Treasury 
Bible. 

Herodotus  mentions  that  one  of  the  kings  of  Egypt 
(Rhampsenitus  or  Rhameses)  constructed  a stone  edifice, 
connected  with  his  palace  by  a wall,  for  the  security  of 
his  riches.  The  architect  whom  he  employed  disposed 


SHAVING  THE  BEARD. 


121 


one  of  the  stones  in  such  a manner  that  two  persons, 
or  even  one,  might  remove  it  from  its  place.  In  this 
building,  when  completed,  the  king  deposited  his  riches. 
Some  time  afterward,  finding  his  end  approaching,  the 
artist  informed  his  two  sons  of  the  device  which  he  had 
used  in  building  the  treasury,  and  explained  the  particular 
situation  and  dimensions  of  the  stone  by  which  they 
might  become  the  managers  of  the  king’s  riches.  The 
sons  were  not  long  in  visiting  the  building  and  remov- 
ing the  stone,  and  carried  away  during  the  night  a large 
sum  of  money.  This  was  frequently  repeated,  to  the  as- 
tonishment of  the  king,  who  saw  his  treasures  materially 
diminished,  while  the  seals  of  the  doors  remained  un- 
broken, and  every  entrance  was  properly  secured.  He, 
therefore,  ordered  traps  to  be  placed  round  the  ves- 
sels which  contained  his  wealth.  The  robbers  came  as 
before,  but  one  of  them  proceeding  directly  toward  the 
vessels,  was  caught  in  the  snare,  and  calling  to  his 
brother,  entreated  him  to  cut  off  his  head  instantly,  as 
the  only  means  of  preventing  detection  and  his  own 
loss  of  life.  This  the  other  did  ; and  replacing  the 
stone,  returned  with  his  brother’s  head.  As  soon  as 
it  was  light,  the  king  entered  the  apartment,  and  was 
still  more  amazed  to  see  the  body  without  a head,  and 
no  appearance  of  anything  having  been  disturbed.  He 
commanded  the  body  to  be  hung  from  the  wall,  and 
placing  guards  around  it,  directed  them  to  seize  any  one 
who  exhibited  sorrow  at  the  sight  of  it.  The  mother  of 
the  young  man,  exasperated  at  this  exposure  of  her  son, 
threatened  his  brother  with  discovering  the  whole  of  the 
robbery,  if  he  did  not  rescue  the  dead  body.  He  there- 
fore drove  some  asses,  loaded  with  flasks  of  wine,  near 
the  place,  and  secretly  removing  the  pegs  from  the  mouth 
of  two  or  three  of  the  skins,  the  wine  ran  about,  and  he 
pretended  the  greatest  distress.  The  guards  immediately 
ran  to  catch  the  wine  in  vessels  for  themselves,  while 
they  attempted  to  pacify  the  owner,  who  at  first  seemed 
much  enraged,  but  gradually  listened  to  them,  and  affect- 
*11 


122 


SHAVING  THE  EEAKD. 


ing  to  be  pleased  with  the  conversation  of  one  of  them, 
gave  them  a flask  of  wine  and  they  sat  down  to  drink. 
The  young  man  produced  a second  flask,  and  the  guards 
soon  became  drunk  and  fell  asleep,  when  he  took  down 
under  the  advantage  of  the  night,  the  body  of  his  brother, 
and  in  derision  shaved  the  right  cheeks  of  the  guards . — 
Herodotus , bk.  ii.,  121. 

HORNS. 

Psalm  lxxv.  5,  10. 

“ Lift  not  up  your  horn  on  high : speak  not  with  a 
stiff  neck.  . . . All  the  horns  of  the  wicked  will  I cut 
off  but  the  horns  of  the  righteous  shall  be  exalted.” — 
(See  Ps.  xcii.  10  ; Lament,  ii.  3 ; Luke  i.  69.) 

The  word  horn  is  so  frequently  used  in  Scripture 
as  to  make  it  evident  that  much  meaning  is  attached  to 
it ; but  at  that  meaning  we  cannot  arrive,  without  some 
acquaintance  with  the  manner  in  which  horns  were  used 
in  the  East.  Horns  were  worn  by  persons  in  authority. 
The  head-dress  of  the  governors  of  the  provinces  of 
Abyssinia  consists  of  a large  broad  fillet  bound  upon  the 
forehead,  and  tied  behind  the  head.  In  the  middle  of 
this  is  a horn,  or  a conical  piece  of  silver  gilt,  about  four 
inches  long,  much  in  the  shape  of  our  common  candle 
extinguishers.  This  is  called  a horn  ; and  is  only  worn 
at  reviews,  or  parades  after  victory.  The  crooked  man- 
ner in  which  they  hold  the  neck,  when  this  ornament  is 
on  their  forehead,  for  fear  it  should  fall  forward,  explains 
what  David  calls  “ speaking  with  a stiff  neck  it  would 
be  difficult,  with  anything  so  heavy  on  the  head,  not  to 
hold  it  in  a stiff  and  consequential  manner.  William  Penn 
thus  relates  his  first  interview  with  the  American  Indians, 
when  he  purchased  the  land  for  his  province  of  Pennsyl- 
vania : “ One  of  the  chiefs,”  says  he,  “ put  on  his  head 
a kind  of  chaplet  in  which  appeared  a small  horn.  This 
was  an  emblem  of  kingly  power ; and  whenever  the  chief, 
who  had  a right  to  wear  it,  put  it  on,  it  was  understood 


HORNS. 


123 


that  the  place  was  made  sacred,  and  the  persons  of  all 
present  inviolable.  Upon  putting  on  this  horn,  the  In- 
dians threw  down  their  bows  and  arrows,  and  seated 
themselves  round  their  chiefs,  in  the  form  of  a half- 
moon, upon  the  ground.  The  chiefs  then  announced  to 
William  Penn,  by  means  of  an  interpreter,  that  the 
nations  were  ready  to  hear  him.”  The  horn,  then,  was 
an  emblem  of  kingly  power.  Thus  Daniel  and  St.  John 
represent  powerful  kingdoms  under  the  image  of  horns. 
(See  Dan.  vii.  7 ; Rev.  xiii.  1,11.)  It  expresses  strength 
and  majesty : so,  when  the  false  prophets  described  the 
strength  of  Ahab’s  army,  one  of  them  “ made  him  horns 
of  iron”  (1  Kings  xxii.  11),  signifying  that  the  enemy 
should  flee  before  Israel,  as  before  a strong  and  horned 
animal.  Christ  also  is  called  “ the  horn  of  our  salva- 
tion that  is,  He  is  our  king,  in  whom  is  all  our 
strength,  and  who  has  also  “ become  our  salvation.” 

SPLENDOR  OF  THE  EASTERN  DRESSES. 

I Peter  iii.  3. 

“ Whose  adorning  let  it  not  be  that  outward  adorning 
of  plaiting  the  hair,  and  of  wearing  of  gold,  or  of  put- 
ting on  of  apparel.” 

Whatever  other  fashions  may  have  changed  in  the 
East — and  yet  we  may  truly  believe  that  very  few  have 
varied — there  is  one  still  stationary,  the  sight  of  which 
carries  us  back  to  the  remotest  Scripture  antiquity  : 
I mean  the  fashion  of  splendid  dresses.  I had  a full 
specimen  of  it  this  evening,  in  the  lady  of  the  house. 
She  produced  from  her  wardrobe,  at  least  ten  heavy 
outer-garments,  coats  of  many  colors,  embroidered  and 
spangled  with  gold  and  silver  flowers.  I was  weary 
with  her  showing  them  at  which  she  seemed  sur- 
prised. There  are  some  of  them  as  old  as  the  date  of 
her  marriage — some  still  older.  They  are  only  worn  on 
great  festivals,  as  Christmas  Easter,  &c.,  when  she  sits 


124 


SPLENDOR  OF  THE  EASTERN  DRESSES. 


in  state  to  receive  her  friends,  and  hands  coffee  and  a 
pipe  to  them.  It  is  curious,  however,  to  see  how  her 
splendid  dresses  are  contrasted  with  her  humble  daily 
occupations  : for,  in  the  ordinary  duties  of  the  house, 
she  is  to  be  found  sweeping  out  the  kitchen,  boiling  the 


pot,  &c. ; and  she  eats  her  meals  when  her  husband  and 
his  friends  have  finished,  sitting  on  the  ground  with  her 
children  and  servants,  at  the  parlor-door ; and  such, 
generally,  is  the  condition  of  females  in  Eastern  coun- 
tries. She  wears  an  infinity  of  braids,  which  hang  down 
all  the  length  of  her  back,  and  terminate  in  gold  sequins ; 
which,  together  with  those  she  wears  on  her  head,  may 
be  worth  from  five  to  ten  pounds  sterling.  The  advice 
of  St.  Peter  is  quite  forgotten  in  this  land.  The  orna- 
ment of  a meek  and  quiet  spirit  appears  to  be  very  little 
known  ; but  the  adorning  of  plaiting  the  hair,  and  of 
wearing  of  gold,  and  of  putting  on  of  apparel,  is  most 
studiously  retained. — Jowetfs  Researches , pp.  97,  98. 


SPLENDOR  OF  THE  EASTERN  DRESSES.  125 

1 Timothy  ii.  9. 

“ In  like  manner  also,  that  women  adorn  themselves 
in  modest  apparel,  with  shamefacedness  and  sobriety ; 
not  with  broidered  hair,  or  gold,  or  pearls,  or  costly 
array.” 

The  costume  of  the  Barbary  Jewesses,  is  splendid  in 
the  highest  degree.  Their  robes,  which  fold  over,  and 
are  girt  round  by  a silk  sash  worked  in  gold , are  usu- 
ally of  superfine  scarlet  or  green  cloth,  richly  embroi- 
dered with  gold.  On  holydays,  they  wear  splendid  ear- 
rings, and  a magnificent  tiara  of  pearls , emeralds,  and 
other  precious  stones,  with  numerous  rings  on  their  fin- 
gers. The  trinkets  that  are  there  worn  by  a young 
Jewess  of  the  middle  classes,  amount  frequently  in  value 
to  more  than  a hundred  pounds. 


11* 


126 


CHAPTER  VIL 

Various  Methods  of  Writing — Written  Mountains — Writing 

Tables — Ancient  Boohs — Manner  of  Reading — Drawing  on 

Tiles — Signet-rings — Sealing — Sacrifices  Sealed  in  Egypt. 

WRITING  BOOKS. 

Job  xix.  23,  24. 

“ Oh  that  my  words  were  now  written  ! Oh  that  they 
were  printed  [written]  in  a book  ! That  they  were  graven 
with  an  iron  pen  and  lead  in  the  rock  for  ever !” 

Jeremiah  xvii.  13. 

“ They  that  depart  from  me  shall  be  written  in  the 
earth.”  (See  also  Psalm  lxix.  28.) 

John  viii.  6. 

“ Jesus  stooped  down,  and  with  his  finger  wrote  on 
the  ground.” 

In  Barbary,  children  are  taught  to  write  on  smooth 
thin  boards,  daubed  over  with  whiting,  which  may  be 
wiped  off  or  renewed  at  pleasure  ; and  in  India,  children 
write  their  lesson  with  their  fingers  on  the  ground,  the 
pavement  being  for  that  purpose  strewed  all  over  with 
very  fine  sand.  When  the  pavement  is  full,  they  put 
the  writings  out,  and,  if  necessary,  strew  new  sand  from 
a little  heap  before  them.  Thus,  Jeremiah  says,  that 
they  who  depart  from  the  Lord  shall  be  written  in  the 
earth, — as  soon  be  blotted  out  and  forgotten,  as  the  wri- 
ting of  a child  upon  the  sand. 

In  Arabia  (where  Job  lived),  some  writings  are  found 
engraved  in  the  natural  rock.  Near  Sinai,  are  some 
mountains  called  the  Written  Mountains ; engraved  with 
a pointed  instrument  in  ancient,  and  now  unknown 
characters.  Some  other  inscriptions  in  the  wilderness 
are  stained,  or  painted  in  the  rock ; and  this  staining 


WRITING BOOKS. 


127 


sinks  some  depth  into  the  stone,  and  is  extremely  dura- 
ble. And  this  may  be  the  graving  with  lead  (as  our 
translation  renders  it),  to  which  Job  refers.  “ Oh !” 
he  exclaims,  “ that  my  words  were  written !” — not  upon 
sand,  but  in  a book  ; yet  since  that  too  is  liable  to  injury, 
let  them  be  graven  with  an  iron  pen,  or  stained,  in  the 
rock  for  ever ! — Harmer's  Observations , vol,  iii.,  pp.  122> 
123,  note  ; 59,  64-66. 


WRITING-TABLES. 


Habakkuk  ii.  2. 

“ Write  the  vision,  and  make  it  plain  upon  tables,  that 
he  may  run  that  readeth  it.” 

In  this  verse,  there  is  an  allusion  to  an  eastern  prac- 


128 


WRITING-TABLES. 


tice.  Writing-tables  were  used  in  very  ancient  times  in 
the  East.  They  were  made  of  wood,  consisted  of  two, 
three,  or  five  leaves,  and  were  covered  with  wax ; on 
this,  impressions  were  easily  made  ; they  lasted  long, 
and  were  very  legible.  It  was  also  a custom  among  the 
Romans,  for  the  public  affairs  of  every  year  to  be  com- 
mitted to  writing  by  the  liigh-priest,  and  published  on  a 
table.  Such  tables  were  exposed  to  public  view,  so  that 
the  people  might  have  an  opportunity  of  becoming 
acquainted  with  their  contents.  It  was  usual,  moreover, 
to  suspend  laws  approved  and  recorded  on  tables  of 
brass  in  their  market-places  and  temples,  that  they  might 
be  seen  and  read ; yea,  that  he  who  ran  might  read  them. 
— Extracted  from  the  Weekly  Visitor . 

ANCIENT  BOOKS. 

Ezekiel  ii.  9,  10. 

“ And  when  I looked,  behold,  a hand  was  sent  unto 
me  ; and  lo,  a roll  of  a book  was  therein  ; and  he 
spread  it  before  me  ; and  it  was  written  within  and  with- 
out ; and  there  was  written  therein  lamentations,  and 
mourning,  and  wo.”  (See  also  Ezra  vi.  2 ; Isaiah  viii. 
I;  xxxiv.  4;  Rev.  vi.  14.) 

The  ancient  books  did  not  resemble  ours.  They 
were  written  upon  long  sheets  of  linen,  leather,  papyrus 
(a  kind  of  paper  made  from  the  thin  skin  which  covered 
a sort  of  bulrush  called  papyrus,  which  grew  in  Egypt), 
or  parchment,  and  each  end  was  fastened  to  a piece  of 
wood,  round  which  the  book  was  rolled.  The  manner 
of  reading  in  it  was  by  gradually  unrolling  it,  rolling  up 
the  part  read,  and  opening  more.  Dr.  Buchanan  found 
an  old  copy  of  the  law  in  India,  written  on  a roll  of 
leather  about  fifteen  feet  long  ; but  some  of  these  rolls 
were  as  much  as  a hundred  feet  in  length.*  The  Rev. 
J.  Hartley,  in  his  travels  in  Greece,  gives  the  following 

♦Specimens  of  these  leather  and  papyrus  rolls  are  in  the  British 
Museum. 


ANCIENT  BOOKS. 


129 


account  of  two  rolls  he  found  there  in  a monastery.  He 
alludes  to  Ezek.  ii.  9,  10,  and  then  says  : “In  the  mon- 
astery I observed  two  very  beautiful  rolls  of  this  de- 
scription ; they  contained  the  Liturgy  of  St.  Chrysostom, 
and  that  attributed  by  the  Greeks  to  St.  James.  You 
begin  to  read  by  unrolling,  and  you  continue  to  read  and 
unroll,  till  at  last  you  arrive  at  the  stick  to  which  the 
roll  is  fastened  : then  you  turn  the  parchment  round, 
and  continue  to  read  on  the  other  side,  rolling  it  gradu- 
ally up  till  you  complete  the  Liturgy.”  Thus  it  was 
written  within  and  without.  The  parchment  and  linen 
were  very  apt  to  decay,  if  kept  in  moist  places.  Jere- 
miah therefore  ordered  Baruch  to  place  the  writings 
mentioned  in  chap,  xxxii,  14,  in  an  earthen  vessel,  that 
they  might  continue  many  days.* — Hartley's  Re- 
searches in  Greece  and  the  Levant , pp.  215,  216. 

BOOKS. 

Revelation  v.  1. 

“ And  I saw  in  the  right  hand  of  him  that  sat  on  the 
throne  a book  written  within  and  on  the  back  side, 
sealed  with  seven  seals.” 

Books,  as  is  generally  known,  are  usually  written  on 
palm-leaf,  with  an  iron  pen  or  style.  The  leaf  is  pre- 
pared with  care,  and  of  good  books  the  edges  are  gilded. 
Some  have  the  margins  illuminated,  and  gilded  with 
considerable  elegance.  The  book  is  defended  by  thin 
slabs  of  wood,  more  or  less  ornamented.  Sometimes 
thin  leaves  of  ivory  are  used,  and  occasionally  gilded 
sheet  iron.  For  common  books,  a thick  black  paper  is 
used,  which  is  written  upon  with  a pencil  of  steatite. 
The  writing  may  be  removed  with  the  hand,  as  from  a 
slate,  and  such  books  last  a long  time.  They  are  in 
one  piece  of  several  yards  long,  and  folded  like  a fan. 
They  can,  of  course,  be  used  on  both  sides  ; and  every 

*We  learn  the  same  fact  from  the  Egyptian  papyri  in  the 
British  Museum. 


130 


MANNER  OF  READING. 


portion  may  be  sealed  up  by  itself,  thus  furnishing  a 
good  idea  of  the  book  mentioned  in  Revelation  v.  1, 
which  was  44  written  within  and  on  the  back  side,  sealed 
with  seven  seals.” — Travels  in  South-Eastern  Asia , bv 
the  Rev.  H.  Malcom. 

MANNER  OF  READING. 

Acts  viii.  27-30. 

“ A man  of  Ethiopia,  a eunuch  of  great  authority 
under  Candace  queen  of  the  Ethiopians,  who  had  the 
charge  of  all  her  treasure,  and  had  come  to  Jerusalem 
for  to  worship,  was  returning  ; and  sitting  in  his  chariot, 
read  Esaias  the  prophet.  ....  And  Philip  ran  thither 
to  him,  and  heard  him  read ” 

“ Their  way  of  reading  aloud  brings  to  my  mind 
some  remarks  which  I have  often  made  on  the  customs 
of  the  Levant.  Generally  speaking,  people  in  these 
countries  seem  not  to  understand  a book  till  they  have 
made  it  vocal.  They  usually  go  on  reading  aloud,  with 
a kind  of  singing  voice,  moving  their  heads  and  bodies 
in  time,  and  making  a monotonous  cadence  at  regular 
intervals  ; thus  giving  emphasis,  although  not  such  as 
would  please  an  English  ear.  Very  often  they  seem  to 
read  without  perceiving  the  sense  ; and  to  be  pleased 
with  themselves,  merely  because  they  can  go  through 
the  mechanical  act  of  reading  in  any  way.  They  run 
over  a full  period  as  if  they  had  no  perception  of  it,  and 
stop  in  the  middle  of  a sentence,  wherever  they  happen 
to  want  to  take  breath:.  On  one  occasion,  when  I was 
showing  some  persons  from  an  English  book  how  we 
read,  inartificially  and  naturally,  they  laughed,  and  said, 

4 You  are  not  reading,  you  are  talking.’  I might  retort 
upon  an  Oriental  reader,  4 You  are  not  reading,  you  are 
chanting.5  I can  very  well  understand  how  it  was  that 
Philip  would  hear  at  what  passage  in  Isaiah  the  Ethio 
pian  eunuch  was  reading,  before  he  was  invited  to  come 
up  and  sit  with  him  in  the  chariot.  The  eunuch,  though 


DRAWING  ON  TILES. 


131 


probably  reading  to  himself,  and  not  particularly  design- 
ing to  be  heard  by  his  attendants,  would  read  loud 
enough  to  be  understood  by  a person  at  some  distance.” 
— Jowetfs  Researches , pp.  120,  121. 

DRAWING  ON  TILES. 

Ezekiel  iv.  1. 

“ Thou  also,  son  of  man,  take  thee  a tile,  and  lay  it 
before  thee,  and  portray  upon  it  the  city  even  Jeru- 
salem.” 

There  are  on  the  island  of  Elephantina,  singular 
memorials  of  the  Roman  troops  which  have  been  quar- 
tered there.  Many  broken  red  pieces  of  earthenware, 
shreds  of  the  potsherd,  are  found,  which  appears  to  have 
served  as  tickets  to  the  soldiers,  assigning  them  their 
portion  of  corn.  The  name  of  the  Emperor  Antoninus 
was  found  on  some  of  them.  They  are  written  in  Greek, 
and  in  black,  in  a running  hand,  very  similar  to  that 
which  is  used  in  a Greek  letter  at  this  day.*  They  are 
in  small  pieces,  about  half  the  size  of  a man’s  hand,  and 
each  one  appears  complete,  though  it  is  difficult  to  deci- 
pher them.  This  seems  to  illustrate  the  command  to 
Ezekiel  (ch.  iv.  1).  He  probably  drew  his  picture  of 
Jerusalem  upon  some  such  piece  of  red  earthenware  as 
these  of  the  Roman  soldiers. — Rev.  S.  S.  Wilson's 
Media. 


SIGNET-RING. 

Genesis  xli.  41,  42. 

“ And  Pharaoh  said  unto  Joseph,  See,  I have  set  thee 
over  all  the  land  of  Egypt.  And  Pharaoh  took  off  his 
ring  from  his  hand,  and  put  it  upon  Joseph’s  hand.” 

*Many  of  these  potsherds,  with  Greek  inscriptions,  being  gene- 
rally receipts  for  corn,  &c.,  are  in  the  British  Museum  : they 
were  brought  from  Egypt,  and  are  very  common  in  Nubia. 


132 


SIGNET-RING. 


Ezekiel  ix.  2,  4. 

“ One  man  among  them  was  clothed  with  linen,  with 
a writer’s  inkhorn  by  his  side  : . . . and  the  Lord  said 
unto  him,  Go  through  the  midst  of  the  city,  through  the 
midst  of  Jerusalem,  and  set  a mark  upon  the  foreheads 
of  the  men  that  sigh,  and,  that  cry  for  all  the  abomina- 
tions that  be  done  in  the  midst  thereof.” 

Revelation  vii.  3. 

“ Hurt  not  the  earth,  neither  the  sea,  nor  the  trees, 
till  we  have  sealed  the  servants  of  our  God  in  their 
foreheads.” 

On  the  little  finger  of  the  right  hand  is  worn  a seal- 
ring, which  is  generally  of  silver,  with  a cornelian,  or 
other  stone,  upon  which  is  engraved  the  wearer’s  name  : 
the  name  is  accompanied  by  the  words,  “ his  servant” 


(signifying,  the  servant,  or  worshipper  of  God),  and 
often  by  other  words  expressive  of  the  person’s  trust  in 
God,  &c.  The  seal-ring  is  used  for  sealing  letters  and 
other  writings,  and  its  impression  is  considered  more 


SIGNET-RING. 


133 


valid  than  the  sign  manual.  (Therefore,  giving  the  ring 
to  another  person  is  the  utmost  mark  of  confidence.) 
A little  ink  is  dabbed  upon  it  with  one  of  the  fingers, 
and  it  is  pressed  upon  the  paper  ; the  person  who  uses 
it  having  first  touched  his  tongue  with  another  finger, 
and  moistened  the  place  in  the  paper  which  is  to  be 
stamped.  Almost  every  person  who  can  afford  it  has  a 
seal-ring,  even  though  he  be  a servant.  The  regular 
scribes,  literary  men,  and  many  others,  wear  a silver, 
brass,  or  copper  case,  with  receptacles  for  ink  and  pens, 
stuck  in  the  girdle.  Some  have,  in  the  place  of  this,  a 
case-knife. — Lane's  Modern  Egyptians , vol.  i.,  pp.  35, 
36. 

The  use  of  such  instruments  for  signature  is  recorded 
in  the  books  of  Moses,  seventeen  hundred  years  before 
the  Christian  era,  and  the  practice  has  continued  in 
Eastern  countries,  with  little  variation,  to  the  present 
day.  The  signets  of  the  Turks  are  of  this  description  : 
the  Romans,  Greeks,  and  Egyptians,  had  the  same  cus- 
tom. In  the  thirty-eighth  chapter  of  Genesis  we  read 
that  Tamar  demanded  the  signet  of  Judah  ; and  above 
three  thousand  years  have  passed  since  the  great  law- 
giver of  the  Jews*  was  directed  to  engrave  the  names 
of  the  children  of  Israel  upon  onyx-stones,  “ like  the 
engravings  of  a signet,”  to  be  set  in  ouches  of  gold,  for 
the  shoulders  of  the  ephod.  That  the  signet  was  of 
stone  set  in  metal,  in  the  time  of  Moses,  is  also  evident 
from  this  passage  of  sacred  history  : “ With  the  engra- 
vings of  a signet  shalt  thou  engrave  the  two  stones  ; thou 
shalt  make  them  to  be  set  in  ouches  of  gold.”  Signets 
without  stones,  and  entirely  of  metal,  did  not  come  into 
use  until  the  time  of  Claudius  Cesar. f 

* Exodus  xxviii.  9,  10,  11. 

f According  to  Philo,  beside  the  common  use  of  a ring,  it  was 
worn  by  the  kings  of  Egypt  as  a sign  of  betrothing  the  state  over 
which  they  ruled.  There  maybe  some  reference  to  this  in  the 
instance  of  Pharaoh,  above  mentioned,  as  in  this. 

12 


134 


SEALING  WITH  CLAY. 


SEALING  WITH  CLAY. 

Job  xxxviii.  14. 

“ It  is  turned  as  clay  to  the  seal.” 

The  birds  pillage  the  granary  of  Joseph,  where  some 
of  the  corn  of  Egypt  is  deposited,  extremely,  for  it  is 
quite  uncovered  at  the  top,  there  being  little  or  no  rain 
in  that  country.  The  doors,  however,  are  kept  carefully 
sealed,  but  not  with  wax.  The  inspectors  put  their  seal 
upon  a handful  of  clay , with  which  they  cover  the  lock 
of  the  door. — Harmer's  Observations , vol.  iv.,  pp.  376, 
377. 

But  official  letters,  and  especially  those  connected  with 
the  affairs  of  the  temples  in  Egypt,  were  of  papyrus,  and 
the  seal  is  always  formed  of  mud  or  clay,  much  resem- 
bling our  common  bread-seals.  They  may  be  seen  in 
the  British  Museum ; and  as  papyrus  was  used  even, 
before  the  Trojan  war,  it  is  probable  that  Job  rather  re- 
fers to  this  custom. 

SACRIFICES  SEALED  IN  EGYPT. 

John  vi.  27. 

“ Him  hath  God  the  Father  sealed .” 

It  was  usual  among  the  nations  about  Judea  to  set  a 
seal  upon  the  victim  deemed  proper  for  sacrifice.  The 
Egyptians  offer  white  bulls  in  sacrifice  to  one  of  their 
gods.  If  on  one  of  these  animals  they  find  even  a black 
hair  they  deem  him  unclean.  But  if  he  be  found  without 
blemish,  the  priest  signifies  it  by  binding  a label  to  his 
horns,  then,  applying  wax,  seals  it  with  his  ring,  and  the 
beast  is  led  away ; for  to  sacrifice  one  not  thus  sealed 
would  be  punished  with  death.  The  bull,  thus  sealed,  is 
brought  to  the  altar,  and  afterward  its  head  is  cut  off, 
and  sometimes  thrown  into  the  river,  with  the  curse, 
that  “ if  there  be  any  evil  hanging  over  the  land  of 
Egypt,  it  may  be  poured  on  that  heady 


SACRIFICES  SEALED  IN  EGYPT. 


135 


So  God,  infinite  in  holiness  and  justice,  found  Jesus 
Christ  to  be  a lamb  without  blemish  and  without  spot, 
and  therefore  sealed  him,  and  laid  upon  him  the  iniquity 
of  us  all.  If  the  blood  of  bulls , and  of  goats,  and  the 
ashes  of  a heifer  sprinkling  the  unclean,  sanctifieth, 
how  much  more  shall  the  blood  of  Christ,  who  through 
the  Eternal  Spirit  offered  himself  without  spot  to  God, 
purge  your  consciences  from  dead  works  to  serve  the 
living  God  ! — See  Harmer's  Observations , vol.  i.,  pp 
68,  69. 


136 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Customs  relating  to  the  Dead — Assemblies  of  Mourners — Mourn- 
ing Women — Mournful  Music — Tumultuous  Grief  of  the 
Mourners — Signs  of  Grief — Uncovering  the  Head  and  Feet — 
Covering  the  Lips — Funeral  Feasts — Idolatrous  cuttings  of  the 
Flesh — Baldness  between  the  Eyes — Forty  Days5  Mourning. 

ASSEMBLIES  OF  MOURNERS. 

Exodus  xxxiii.  4. 

“ And  when  the  people  heard  these  evil  tidings,  they 
mourned  ; and  no  man  did  put  on  him  his  ornaments.” — 
(See  ver.  5,  6.) 


Psalm  Ivi.  8. 

“ Put  thou  my  tears  into  thy  bottle.” 

Luke  xxiii.  48. 

“ And  all  the  people  that  came  together  to  that  sight, 
beholding  the  things  which  were  done,  smote  their 
breasts,  and  returned.” — (Luke  xviii.  13.) 

Among  further  particulars  respecting  the  mourning 
lor  “ Hossein,”*  Mr.  Morier  says,  that  on  entering  a large 
assembly  of  Persians,  “ we  found  them  clad  in  dark- 
colored  clothes,  which,  accompanied  with  their  black 
caps,  their  black  beards,  and  their  dismal  faces,  really 
looked  as  if  they  were  afflicting  their  souls.  We  observed 
that  ‘ no  man  did  put  on  his  ornaments .’  They  neither 
wore  their  daggers  nor  any  part  of  their  dress  which  they 
look  upon  as  ornamental.  A priest  without,  surrounded 
by  the  populace,  read  a part  of  the  tragic  history  of 

* Hossein  was  the  grandson  of  Mahomet,  and  was  by  the  Persians 
believed  to  be  the  rightful  calif:  he  was,  however,  rejected  by 
the  majority  of  the  followers  of  Mahomet,  and  was  slain  by  the 
troops  of  his  rival.  The  Persians  mourn  for  him  annually. 


ASSEMBLIES  OF  MOURNERS. 


137 


Hossein,  which  soon  produced  a great  effect  upon  the 
audience.  Most  of  them  appeared  to  cry  very  unaffect- 
edly. In  some  of  these  mournful  assemblies,  it  is  the 
custom  for  the  priest  to  go  about  to  each  person  at  the 
height  of  his  grief,  with  a piece  of  cotton  in  his  hand, 
with  which  he  carefully  collects  the  falling  tears,  and 
which  he  then  squeezes  into  a bottle,  preserving  them 
with  the  greatest  caution.  This  practically  illustrates 
that  passage  in  the  Psalms,  ‘ Put  my  tears  into  thy 
bottle.’  Some  Persians  believe  that  in  the  agony  of 
death,  when  all  medicines  have  failed,  a drop  of  tears,  so 
collected,  put  into  the  mouth  of  a dying  man,  has  been 
known  to  revive  him  ; and  it  is  for  such  use  that  they 
are  collected.”  .... 

“ In  front  of  the  palace  a circle  of  the  king’s  own  tribe 
were  standing  barefooted,  and  beating  their  breasts  in 
cadence  to  the  chanting  of  one  who  stood  in  the  centre, 
and  with  whom  they  now  and  then  joined  their  voices  in 
chorus.  Smiting  the  breast  is  a universal  act  through- 
out the  mourning ; and  the  breast  is  made  bare  for  that 
purpose,  by  unbuttoning  the  top  of  the  shirt.” — Morier’s 
Second  Journey , c^c.,  pp.  178,  179. 

MOURNING  WOMEN. 

Jeremiah  ix.  17-19. 

“ Consider  ye,  and  call  for  the  mourning  women,  that 
they  may  come  ; and  send  for  cunning  women,  that  they 
may  come  : and  let  them  make  haste,  and  take  up  a wail- 
ing for  us,  that  our  eyes  may  run  down  with  tears,  and 
our  eyelids  gush  out  with  waters.” — (See  Amos  v.  16.) 

1 Kings  viii.  30. 

“ And  they  mourned  over  him,  saying,  Alas ! my 
brother !” 

Jeremiah  xxii.  18. 

“ They  shall  not  lament  for  him,  saying,  Ah,  my 
brother  ! or,  Ah,  sister ! they  shall  not  lament  for  him, 
saying.  Ah,  Lord ! or,  Ah,  his  glorv  !” 

12* 


138 


MOURNING  WOMEN. 


On  the  occasion  of  a death  in  the  East,  the  women  of 
the  family  break  out  into  the  most  violent  lamentations, 
crying  out,  “ Oh,  my  master ! O,  camel  of  the  house  ! 
O ! my  misfortune  !”  &c.,  in  which  they  are  often  joined 
by  the  females  of  the  neighborhood,  who  come  to  the 
house  of  mourning,  and  unite  with  the  inmates  in  theif 


wailings.*  But  there  are  certain  individuals  who  make 
it  their  business  to  weep  for  the  dead,  and  who  offer  then 
services  on  all  such  occasions  “ for  a consideration ;n 
depending  on  such  exertions  for  their  livelihood.  That 
is  to  say,  there  are  women  who  may  be  hired  to  attend  on 
the  corpse,  and  to  aid  the  mourners  in  bewailing  the 
death  of  their  friend,  which  they  do  with  the  most  violent 
gesticulations,  weeping,  shrieking,  rending  their  clothes, 
and  by  other  means  intimating  an  intensity  of  sorrow 
(which  it  is  needless  to  say  they  cannot  feel),  for  the 


Lane’s  Modern  Egyptians , vol.  ii.,  p.  286. 


MOURNING  WOMEN. 


139 


loss  their  employers  have  sustained.  The  Jewish  doc- 
tors inform  us  that  this  practice  was  so  common  that  the 
poorest  man  in  Israel,  when  his  wife  died,  would  hire 
at  least  one  mourning  woman. 

The  root  of  this  singular  custom  appears  to  be,  that 
the  eastern  nations  require  manifestations  of  strong  feel- 
ing to  be  marked  and  exaggerated.  Hence  their  emo- 
tions, particularly  those  of  grief,  have  a most  violent 
expression  ; and  still  unsatisfied  with  their  own  sorrow, 
which  they  thought  yielded  too  little  honor  to  the  dead, 
they  made  an  art  of  mourning,  and  employed  in  it  women 
of  shrill  voices,  copious  of  tears,  and  skilful  in  lamenta- 
tions and  in  praises  of  the  departed.  When  a person  in 
a family  died,  it  was  usual  for  the  female  relatives  to 
seat  themselves  on  the  ground  in  a separate  apartment, 
in  a circle,  in  the  centre  of  which  sat  the  wife,  daugh- 
ter, or  other  nearest  relative,- and  thus,  assisted  by  the 
mourning  women,  conducted  their  loud  and  piercing 
lamentations.  At  intervals  the  mourning  women  took 
the  leading  part,  on  a signal  from  the  chief  mourner,  and 
then  the  real  mourners  remained  comparatively  silent, 
but  attested  their  grief  by  sobs,  by  beating  their  faces, 
tearing  their  hair,  and  sometimes  wounding  themselves 
with  their  nails,  joining  also  aloud  in  the  lamenting  cho- 
rus of  the  hired  mourners.  In  Egypt,  each  woman 
brings  with  her  a tambourine,  beating  it,  and  exclaiming 
several  times,  “ Alas  for  him  !”  and  the  female  relations 
and  friends  of  the  deceased,  with  dishevelled  hair,  and 
sometimes  with  rent  clothes,  cry  in  like  manner,  u Alas 
for  him!”  Among  the  Romans  similar  usages  obtained. 
Mourners  were  placed  at  the  dead  man’s  door,  who,  by 
their  bare  breasts,  which  they  often  smote,  their  mourn- 
ful plaints,  and  profuse  tears,  sought  to  move  the  minds 
of  the  spectators  to  admiration  of  the  departed,  and  com- 
passion for  his  friends.  And  thus  the  prophet  says, 
“ Call  for  the  cunning  women,  that  they  may  come  ; and 
let  them  make  haste  and  take  up  a wailing  for  us,  that 
our  eyes  may  rur  down  with  tears,  and  our  eyelids  gush 


140 


MOURNING  WOMEN. 


out  with  waters.”  The  same  custom  is  still  retained 
among  the  Irish  at  their  funeral  feasts  or  wakes. 

MOURNFUL  MUSIC— TUMULTUOUS  GRIEF  OF  THE 

MOURNERS— SIGNS  OF  GRIEF— UNCOVERING  THE 

HEAD  AND  FEET— COVERING  THE  LIPS— FUNER- 
AL FEASTS. 

Matthew  ix.  23. 

“ Jesus  came  into  the  ruler’s  house,  and  saw  the  min- 
strels and  the  people  making  a noise.” 

Genesis  xlv.  2. 

*' ‘ And  he  wept  aloud  : and  the  Egyptians  and  the 
house  of  Pharaoh  heard.” 

Job  i.  20. 

“ Then  Job  arose,  and  rent  his  mantle,  and  shaved 
his  head.” 

Ezekiel  xxiv.  17. 

“ Forbear  to  cry,  make  no  mourning  for  the  dead,  bind 
the  tire  of  thine  head  upon  thee,  and  put  on  thy  shoes 
upon  thy  feet,  and  cover  not  thy  lips,  and  eat  not  the 
bread  of  men.” — (See  Levit.  xiii.  45  ; Jer.  xvi.  5-8.) 

Singing  and  music  of  a mournful  kind  are  much  used 
in  the  East  on  solemn  occasions.  We  read  in  the  Scrip- 
tures of  singing  men  and  singing  women,  who  were  par- 
ticularly skilled  in  vocal  performances  ; and  in  Egypt, 
even  now,  women  who  play  on  tabors,  and  sing  mournful 
airs  to  the  sound  of  that  instrument,  are  called  in  to  be- 
wail the  dead.  The  death  of  any  person  is  sure  to  be 
accompanied  with  great  noise  and  tumult.  The  con- 
course in  places  where  people  lie  dead  is  incredible. 
Everybody  runs  thither — the  poor  and  the  rich.  Sir  J. 
Chardin  says  (with  reference  particularly  to  the  passage 
in  Gen.  xlv.  2,  on  the  house  of  Pharaoh  hearing  Joseph 
when  he  wept),  that  the  sentiments  of  joy  or  of  grief 
among  the  eastern  nations  are  properly  transports,  un- 
governed and  excessive.  “ When  any  one  returns  from 


MOURNFUL  MUSIC. 


141 


tt  long  journey,  or  dies,  his  family  burst  into  cries  that 
may  be  heard  twenty  doors  off ; and  this  is  renewed  at 
different  times,  and  continues  many  days,  according  to 
the  vigor  of  the  passion.  Especially  are  these  cries 
long  in  the  case  of  death,  and  frightful.  I was  lodged, 
in  the  year  1676,  at  Ispahan,  near  the  royal  square 
The  mistress  of  the  next  house  to  mine  died  at  the  time. 
The  moment  she  expired,  all  the  family,  to  the  number 
of  twenty-five  or  thirty  people,  set  up  such  a furious  cry 
that  I was  quite  startled,  and  was  above  two  hours  be- 
fore I could  recover  myself.  (This  happened  in  the 
middle  of  the  night,  when  Sir  John  was  in  bed,  and  he 
imagined  that  his  own  servants  were  actually  murdered.) 
These  cries  continue  a long  time,  then  cease  all  at  once. 
They  begin  again  as  suddenly,  at  daybreak,  and  in  con- 
cert. It  is  this  suddenness  which  is  so  terrifytng,  to- 
gether with  a greater  shrillness  and  loudness  than  one 
can  easily  imagine.” 

Ezekiel  was  directed  to  bind  the  tire  of  his  head  upon 
him.  To  uncover  the  head  was  a sign  of  mourning.  In 
the  days  of  Job,  no  covering  beside  the  hair  seems  to 
have  been  worn  : therefore,  in  the  time  of  his  affliction, 
he  merely  shaved  his  head  ; but  in  the  days  of  Ezekiel, 
turbans,  such  as  are  now  common  in  the  East,  were 
probably  used,  and  these  were  cast  aside  in  time  of 
mourning. 

Put  on  thy  shoes  upon  thy  feet. — In  Barbary,  the  rela- 
tions of  the  deceased,  for  seven  days  after  the  interment, 
stir  not  abroad ; or  if,  by  some  extraordinary  occasion, 
they  are  forced  to  go  out  of  doors,  it  is  without  shoes — 
which  is  a token  with  them  that  they  have  lost  a dear 
friend. 

Cover %not  thy  lips. — The  Jews  in  Barbary,  when  re- 
turning from  the  grave  in  which  they  have  deposited  a 
friend,  go  to  the  house  of  the  deceased,  where  one  as 
chief  mourner  receives  them,  with  his  jaws  tied  up  with 
a linen  cloth,  after  the  same  manner  that  they  bind  up 
the  dead  ; and  thus  muffled,  the  mourner  goes  for  seven 


142 


MOURNFUL  MUSIC. 


days,  during  which  time  the  rest  of  his  friends  came 
twice  every  four-and-twenty  hours  to  pray  with  him. 
The  Jewish  law  directed  the  leper,  who  was  in  truth  as 
one  dead  (Leviticus  xiii.  45),  to  put  a similar  covering 
upon  his  lips. 

And  eat  not  the  bread  of  men.  This  alludes  to  the 
funeral  feasts  made  in  these  countries,  when  provisions 
were  sent  to  the  house  of  the  deceased,  by  the  neigh- 
bors, friends,  or  relations,  and  where  the  word  comfort- 
ing is  employed,  it  is  in  reference  to  these  feasts.  Of 
this  bread  of  other  men,  Ezekiel  was  not  to  partake,  as 
was  usual  in  times  of  mourning.  The  instructions  given 
to  him  appear  to  run  thus  : “ Thou  shalt  not  cry  out 
with  the  vehement  noises  common  in  thy  country  ; thou 
shall  not  weep  with  bitter  sobbings,  nor  even  suffer  tears 
to  start.  On  the  contrary,  be  silent  and  assume  none  of 
the  usual  forms  of  mourning.  Wear  thy  turban  and 
thy  shoes,  muffle  not  up  thy  face,  and  eat  not  the  bread 
prepared  by  the  humane  for  the  afflicted.” — Harmer's 
Observations , vol.  iii.,  pp.  2,  34,  note  ; 16-18,  10-14, 
8-10. 


IDOLATROUS  CUTTINGS  OF  THE  FLESH— BALDNESS 
BETWEEN  THE  EYES. 

Leviticus  xix.  28. 

“ Ye  shall  not  make  any  cuttings  in  your  flesh  for  the 
dead  A 

Deuteronomy  xiv.  1. 

“ Ye  are  the  children  of  the  Lord  your  God  : ye  shall 
not  cut  yourselves,  nor  make  any  baldness  between  your 
eyes  for  the  dead.” 

1 Kings  xviii.  28. 

“ And  they  cried  aloud  and  cut  themselves,  after  their 
manner,  with  knives  and  lancets,  till  the  blood  gushed 
out  upon  them.” — (See  also  Jeremiah  xvi.  6.) 

Mr.  Morier  witnessed  the  celebration  which  takes 
place  annually  in  Persia,  of  the  death  of  Hossein,  grand- 


IDOLATROUS  CUTTINGS  OF  THE  FLESH. 


143 


son  of  Mahomet,  who  was  slain.  The  commemoration 
of  this  event  awakens  the  strongest  passions  of  the  Per- 
sians, entertaining,  as  they  do,  the  highest  veneration 
for  the  person  of  Hosseiri.  “ I have  seen  the  most 
violent  of  them,  as  they  vociferated,  ‘Ya  Hossein  !’  walk 
about  the  streets  almost  naked,  with  only  their  loins 
covered,  and  their  bodies  streaming  with  blood,  by  the 
voluntary  cuts  which  they  have  given  to  themselves, 
either  as  acts  of  love,  anguish,  or  mortification.  Such 
must  have  been  the  cuttings  of  which  we  read  in  Holy 
Writ,  which  were  forbidden  to  the  Israelites  by  Moses  ; 
and  these  extravagances,  I conjecture,  must  resemble 
the  practices  of  the  priests  of  Baal.  (1  Kings  xviii.”) — 
Moneys  Second  Journey  into  Persia , pp.  176,  177. 

It  is  still  usual  among  idolatrous  nations  for  mourners 
to  cut  themselves  in  a very  dreadful  manner,  with  stones 
or  other  instruments ; and  similar  barbarities  were  also 
used  in  the  worship  of  their  gods,  as  we  learn  from  the 
conduct  of  the  priests  of  Baal.  But  in  order  to  under- 
stand how  making  a space  bald  between  the  eyes  could 
be  an  expression  of  grief,  we  must  know  something  of  the 
eastern  ideas  of  beauty.  Black  hair  is  most  esteemed 
among  the  Persians,  as  well  on  the  head,  as  on  the  eye- 
brows, and  in  the  beard.  They  think  the  largest  and 
thickest  eyebrows  the  most  beautiful,  especially  when 
they  are  of  such  a size  as  to  touch  one  another.  The 
Arab  women  have  the  most  beautiful  eyebrows  of  this 
sort.  The  Persian  women,  when  they  have  them  not 
of  this  color,  tinge  and  rub  them  with  black,  to  make 
them  the  larger.  They  also  make  a black  spot  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  forehead,  a little  below  the  eyebrows. 
When,  therefore,  they  were  in  trouble,  they  disfigured 
themselves  by  taking  away  this  ornament,  and  making 
a space  bald  between  their  eyes.  There  was  also, 
doubtless,  something  peculiarly  connected  with  idolatry 
in  this  custom,  since  it  is  forbidden,  while  shaving  the 
head  is  allowed. — Sir  J.  Chardin  : see  Harmer* s Obser - 
nations , vol.  iii.,  pp.  14,  15. 


144 


FORTY  DAYS’  MOURNING. 


FORTY  DAYS5  MOURNING. 

Genesis  1.  3. 

“ And  forty  days  were  fulfilled  for  him  [Jacob]  ; for 
so  are  fulfilled  the  days  of  those  which  are  embalmed.” 

Toward  the  close  of  the  first  Thursday  after  a fu- 
neral in  Egypt,  the  women  of  the  family  of  the  deceased 
again  commence  a wailing  in  their  house,  accompanied 
bv  some  of  their  female  friends.  On  the  Friday  morn- 
ing the  women  repair  to  the  tomb.  The  same  ceremo- 
nies are  repeated  on  the  same  days  of  the  next  two 
weeks,  and  again  on  the  Thursday  and  Friday,  which 
complete,  or  next  follow,  the  first  period  of  forty  days 
after  the  funeral.  (See  Genesis  1.  3.) — Lane's  Modern 
Egyptians , vol.  ii.,  p.  306. 


145 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Method  of  Travelling  — March  of  the  Israelites  — Arab  Trav- 
elling— Guides  — Running  Footmen  — Manner  of  Riding  — 

Messengers  — Highways  — Standards. 

MARCH  OF  THE  ISRAELITES. 

Numbers  x.  12-27. 

“ And  the  children  of  Israel  took  their  journey  out  of 

the  wilderness  of  Sinai In  the  first  place  went  the 

standard  of  the  camp  of  the  children  of  Judah , accord- 
ing to  their  armies  ; and  over  his  host  was  Nahshon  the 
son  of  Amminadab.” — (See  Numbers  vii.,  where  Nahshon 
and  the  other  captains  of  the  host  are  called  princes.) 

Numbers  ii.  2. 

“ Every  man  of  the  children  of  Israel  shall  pitch  by 
his  own  standard .” 

Numbers  x.  2,  5. 

“ Make  thee  two  trumpets  of  silver,  ....  that  thou 
may e st  use  them  for  ....  the  journeying  of  the  camps . 
When  ye  blow  an  alarm,  then  the  camps  that  lie  on  the 
east  parts  shall  go  forward”  &c. 

Numbers  ix,  21. 

“ And  so  it  was,  when  the  clouds  abode  from  even 
unto  the  morning,  and  that  the  cloud  was  taken  up  in 
the  morning , then  they  journeyed  ; whether  it  was  by 
day  or  by  night  that  the  cloud  was  taken  up,  they  jour- 
neyed.” 

The  annual  travelling  of  those  great  bodies  of  people 
that  go  in  pilgrimage  to  Mecca*  through  the  desert,  may 

* The  city  of  Mecca,  in  Arabia,  was  the  birth-place  of  the  false 
prophet  Mahomet,  and  his  followers  go  in  great  multitudes  there 
annually. 


13 


146 


MARCH  OF  THE  ISRAELITES. 


serve  in  a striking  manner,  to  illustrate  the  travelling  of 
the  children  of  Israel  through  those  very  deserts. 

We  learn,  from  the  book  of  Numbers,  that  the  Isra- 
elites journeyed  in  companies, — each  company  having 
a prince  over  it,  and  an  ensign  or  standard  by  which  it 
was  distinguished,  and  near  which  it  encamped  ; that 
the  signal  for  the  moving  of  the  hosts  was  the  blowing 
of  a trumpet,  and  that  they  travelled  by  night  as  well  as 
by  day.  .Now  the  account  which  a traveller  has  given 
us  of  the  order  observed  in  the  journey  of  the  caravan 
in  which  he  was,  from  Mecca,  exactly  agrees  with  all 
these  circumstances. 

“ The  first  day  we  set  out,”  writes  this  gentleman,  “ it 
was  without  any  order  at  all,  all  hurly-burly  (the  Isra- 
elites also  went  out  at  first  in  haste)  ; but  the  next  day 
every  one  labored  to  get  forward  ; and,  in  order  to  it, 
there  was  many  times  much  quarrelling.  But  after  every 
one  had  taken  his  place  in  the  caravan,  they  orderly  and 
peaceably  kept  the  same  place  till  they  came  to  Grand 
Cairo.  They  travel  four  camels  in  a breast,  which  are 
all  tied  one  after  the  other,  like  as  in  teams.  The  whole 
body  is  called  a caravan,  which  is  divided  in  several 
companies,  each  of  which  has  its  name,  and  consists, 
it  may  be,  of  several  thousand  camels  ; and  they  move, 
one  company  after  another,  like  distinct  troops.  In  the 
head  of  each  company  is  some  great  gentleman,  or  offi- 
cer, who  is  carried  in  a thing  like  a horse-litter.  Were 
it  not  for  this  order,  you  may  guess  what  confusion 
would  prevail  among  such  a vast  multitude.  ” 

Here  we  find  an  officer  over  a company,  as  a prince 
was  over  a tribe,  among  the  Israelites. 

Each  company  of  the  pilgrims  had,  moreover,  a pole, 
upon  which  lights  were  carried  during  the  night.  These 
lights  “ are  somewhat  like  iron  stoves,  into  which  they 
put  short  dry  wood,  which  some  of  the  camels  are  loaded 
with.  It  is  carried  in  great  sacks,  which  have  a hole 
near  the  bottom,  where  the  servants  take  it  out  as  they 
see  the  fires  need  a recruit.  Every  company  has  one  of 


MARCH  OF  THE  ISRAELITES. 


147 


these  poles  belonging  to  it,  some  of  which  have  ten,  some 
twelve,  of  these  lights- on  their  tops,  or  more  or  less  ; and 
they  are  likewise  of  different  figures  as  well  as  numbers  ; 
one  perhaps,  oval- way,  like  a gate,  another  triangular, 
or  like  N or  M,  &c.;  so  that  every  one  knows  by  them 
his  respective  company.  They  are  carried  in  the  front, 
and  set  up  in  the  place  where  the  caravan  is  to  pitch, 
before  that  comes  up,  at  some  distance  from  one  another. 
They  are  also  carried  by  day,  not  lighted : but  yet  by 
the  figure  and  number  of  them,  the  pilgrims  are  directed 
to  what  company  they  belong,  and  without  such  direc- 
tions it  would  be  impossible  to  preserve  order.” 


Here  we  find  the  same  arrangement  as  among  the 
Israelites  ; and  as  they  also  travelled  by  night,  their 
standards  were  probably  of  the  same  sort  as  those  here 
described,  which  would  serve  them  alike  day  or  night. 
The  traveller  before  alluded  to  gives  us  further  partic* 


148 


MARCH  OF  THE  ISRAELITES. 


ulars  regarding  the  Mecca  caravan.  “ Every  morn- 
ing,” he  says,  “ they  pitch  their  tents,  and  rest  several 
hours.  When  the  camels  are  unloaded,  the  owners  drive 
them  to  water  and  give  them  their  provender.  As  soon 
as  our  tents  were  pitched,  my  business  was  to  make  a 
little  fire,  and  get  a pot  of  coffee.”  ....  “We  lay  down 
to  sleep.  Between  eleven  and  twelve  we  boiled  some- 
thing for  dinner,  and,  having  dined,  lay  down  again  till 
about  four,  when  the  trumpet  was  sounded , which  gave 
notice  to  every  one  to  take  down  their  tents,  pack  up 
their  things,  and  load  their  camels,  in  order  to  proceed 
in  their  journey.” 

Thus  we  see  that  more  than  three  thousand  years  have 
made  no  alteration  in  the  signal  used  for  decamping. 
The  pilgrims  to  Mecca,  and  the  Israelites  of  old,  both 
moved  at  the  sound  of  the  trumpet. 

The  night  is  the  chief  time  for  performing  these  jour- 
neys, on  account  of  the  heat  by  day.  But  sometimes 
the  mornings  are  cold  before  the  sun  is  up,  and  likewise 
in  the  day  there  are  often  refreshing  breezes. 

God,  therefore,  most  mercifully  directed  the  march  of 
his  people  according  to  the  season  or  the  temperature  of 
the  air  ; for  sometimes  he  took  up  the  cloud  in  the 
morning,  and  sometimes  at  night,  as  best  might  suit 
their  comfort;  for  “ He  knew  whereof  they  were  made, 
and  he  remembered  that  they  were  but  dust.” — Pitt's 
Account  of  the  Religion  and  Manners  of  the  Mahom- 
metans  ; Harmer's  Observations , vol.  ii.,  pp.  265— 268, 
272,  273. 


ARAB  TRAVELLING. 

Genesis  xxxii. 

The  manner  in  which  the  Arabs  travel  affords  a 
striking  illustration  of  the  way  in  which  Jacob  jour- 
neyed. Mr.  Parsons,  who  travelled  in  the  East  a few 
years  ago,  thus  described  it : — 

“ First  went  the  shepherds  and  goatherds,  with  the 


ARAB  TRAVELLING. 


149 


sheep  and  goats  in  regular  flocks.  Then  followed  the 
camels  and  asses,  with  the  tents  and  furniture.  Next 
came  the  old  men,  and  the  women  with  the  boys  and 
girls  on  foot.  The  little  children  were  carried  by  the 
women,  and  the  elder  children  carried  the  lambs  and 
kids.  Last  of  all  came  the  masters  of  the  families. 
Between  each  family  there  was  a space  of  a hundred 
yards  or  more  ; so  that  they  did  not  mix  or  get  confused 
with  each  other. 


GUIDES. 

Numbers  x.  31. 

“ And  he  said,  Leave  us  not,  I pray  thee  : forasmuch 
as  thou  knowest  how  we  are  to  encamp  in  the  wilder- 
ness, and  thou  mayest  be  to  us  instead  of  eyes.” 

The  importance  of  a guide  in  traversing  these  deserts 
must  be  evident.  Mr.  Bruce  informs  us  that  a hybeer 
is  a guide,  from  the  Arabic  word  hubbar — to  inform, 
instruct,  or  direct ; because  they  are  used  to  do  this 
office  to  the  caravans  travelling  through  the  desert  in  all 
its  directions,  whether  to  Egypt  and  back  again,  the 
coast  of  the  Red  sea,  or  the  countries  of  Soudan,  and 
the  western  extremities  of  Africa.  They  are  men  of 
great  consideration  — knowing  perfectly  the  situation 
and  properties  of  all  kinds  of  water  to  be  met  with  on  the 
route,  the  distance  of  wells,  whether  occupied  by  enemies 
or  not,  and  if  so,  the  way  to  avoid  them  with  the  least 
inconvenience.  It  is  also  necessary  for  them  to  know 
the  places  occupied  by  the  simooms,  and  the  seasons  of 
their  blowing  in  these  parts  of  the  desert ; likewise 
those  occupied  by  moving  sands.  In  addition  to  this 
they  must  be  acquainted  with  those  places  where  fuel  is 
to  be  met  with  — travellers  having  suffered  severely  from 
the  want  of  this  necessary  article. 

The  hybeer  generally  belongs  to  some  powerful  tribe 
of  Arabs  (inhabiting  the  deserts),  whose  assistance  he 
makes  use  of  to  help  and  protect  his  caravans  ; and  hand- 
T3* 


150  GUIDES RUNNING  FOOTMEN. 

some  rewards  are  always  in  his  power  to  distribute  on 
such  occasions.  So  Moses  might  well  beg  the  company 
of  Hobab,  who  was  the  prince  of  a clan,  that  he  might 
apply  to  him  from  time  to  time  for  conductors  to  those 
small  parties  he  should  have  occasion  to  send  forth  from 
the  main  body  to  different  places.  (See  Numb,  xiii., 
xx.,  xxxi.)  Now  that  the  Arabs  in  these  deserts  are 
every  where  without  government,  the  trade  between  Abys- 
sinia and  Cairo  given  over,  and  that  between  Soudan  and 
the  metropolis  much  diminished,  the  importance  of  the 
office  of  hybeer  and  its  consideration  is  fallen  in  propor- 
tion, and  with  these  the  safe-conduct. — See  Bruce’s 
Travels;  Harmer's  Observations,  w ol.  ii.,  pp.  279*  282. 

RUNNING  FOOTMEN. 

1 Kings  xviii.  46. 


“ And  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was  on  Elijah : and  he 
girded  up  his  loins,  and  ran  before  Ahab  to  the  entrance 
of  Jezreel.” 


MANNER  OF  RIDING. MESSENGERS. 


151 


“ The  incident  of  Elijah  running  before  the  chariot  of 
Ahab  has  been  continually  brought  to  my  recollection 
wherever  I have  been  in  India,  by  the  following  custom. 
Men  of  distinction  have  servants  running  before,  and 
at  the  least,  two  always  run  beside  the  carriage.  Even 
persons  on  horseback  are  never  without  one  of  these 
runners.  It  is  astonishing  how  long  these  men,  accus- 
tomed  to  the  business  from  childhood,  can  endure.  The 
rider  never  slacks  his  pace  on  their  account,  and  they 
keep  up  during  the  whole  drive.” — Rev.  H.  Malcom. 

MANNER  OF  RIDING.. 

2 Kings  iv.  24. 

“ Then  she  saddled  an  ass,  and  said  to  her  servant, 
Drive,  and  go  forward  ; slack  not  thy  riding  for  me,  ex- 
cept I bid  thee.” 

It  is  usual  in  the  East  for  persons,  when  riding,  to  be 
attended  by  a servant  on  foot,  who  drives  the  animal. 
In  Egypt,  the  husband  leads  his  wife’s  ass.  If  she  has 
a servant,  he  goes  on  one  side  ; but  the  ass-driver  goads 
on  the  beast,  and  when  he  is  to  turn,  directs  his  head 
with  a pole. — Dr.  Pococke's  Description  of  Egypt.— See 
Harmer’s  Observations , vol.  ii.,  p.  209. 

MESSENGERS. 

Job  ix.  25. 

“ My  days  are  swifter  than  a post.” 

The  common  pace  of  travelling  in  these  countries  is 
very  slow.  In  the  country  of  Job,  a camel  would  travel 
at  little  more  than  two  miles  an  hour  : for  these  animals 
perpetually  nibble  everything  they  find  proper  for  food, 
as  they  pass  along.  But  those  who  carried  messages  in 
haste,  moved  very  differently,  and  their  haste  appeared 
the  greater  by  contrast.  The  runners,  or  posts,  as  we 
translate  the  word,  sometimes  ride  dromedaries — a re- 


152 


MESSENGERS. 


markably  swift  sort  of  camel,  which  outruns  the  swiffest 
horses.  Even  the  runners  on  foot  move  with  great  speed 
in  Barbary.  With  what  energy,  then,  might  Job  say, 
“ My  days  are  swifter  than  a post instead  of  moving 
slowly  like  a caravan,  they  have  disappeared  with  the 
swiftness  of  a messenger  mounted  on  a dromedary. — 
Harmer's  Observations , vol.  ii.,  pp.  196,  197. 


The  Persian  messengers  travel  with  a velocity  which 
nothing  human  can  equal.  It  is  thus  accomplished  : 
As  many  days  as  are  required  to  go  from  one  place  to 
another,  so  many  men  and  horses  are  regularly  stationed 
along  the  road,  allowing  a man  and  a horse  for  each 
day.  Neither  snow,  nor  rain,  nor  heat,  nor  darkness, 
are  permitted  to  obstruct  their  speed.  The  first,  mes- 
senger delivers  his  business  to  the  second,  the  second 
to  the  third,  &c. — Herodotus , bk.  viii.,  ch.  xcviii. 

The  regularity  and  swiftness  of  the  Roman  posts  were 


MESSENGERS. 


153 


admirable.  Gibbon  writes  : “ The  advantage  of  receiv- 
ing the  earliest  intelligence,  and  of  conveying  their  or- 
ders with  celerity,  induced  the  emperors  to  establish 
throughout  their  extensive  dominions  the  regular  institu- 
tions of  posts.  Houses  were  everywhere  erected,  at 
the  distance  only  of  five  or  six  miles.  Each  of  them  was 
constantly  provided  with  forty  horses  ; and,  by  the  help 
of  these  relays,  it  was  easy  to  travel  a hundred  miles  in 
a day,  along  the  Roman  roads. ” In  the  time  of  Theo- 
dosius, Cesarius,  a magistrate  of  high  rank,  went  post 
from  Antioch  to  Constantinople.  He  began  his  journey 
at  night,  was  in  Cappadocia  [one  hundred  and  sixty-five 
miles  from  Antioch]  the  ensuing  evening,  and  arrived  at 
Constantinople  the  sixth  day  about  noon.  The  whole 
distance  was  seven  hundred  and  twenty-five  Roman,  or 
six  hundred  and  sixty-five  English  miles. 

HIGHWAYS— STANDARDS. 

Isaiah  lxii.  10. 

“ Go  through,  go  through  the  gates  ; prepare  you  the 
way  of  the  people  ; cast  up,  cast  up  the  highway  ; gather 
out  the  stones  ; lift  up  a standard  for  the  people.” 

In  any  part  where  the  land  is  marshy  (as  about  Baby- 
lon), it  is  necessary  to  make  highways,  or  causeways , 
previous  to  travelling.  It  is  equally  desirable  to  have 
marks  for  the  direction  of  travellers  through  the  deserts. 
For  this  purpose,  heaps  of  stones  have  been  piled  up  in 
remote  places  : which  is  probably  what  is  meant  by 
“ gather  out  the  stones or,  as  it  might  be  rendered, 
“ throw  ye  up  heaps  of  stones.”  Thus  Irwin,  passing 
through  the  deserts  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Nile,  tells 
us  that,  “ after  leaving  a certain  valley,  their  road  lay 
over  level  ground.  As  it  would  be  next  to  an  impossi- 
bility to  find  the  way  over  these  stony  fiats,  where  the 
heavy  foot  of  a camel  leaves  no  impression,  the  different 
bands  of  Arabs  have  heaped  up  stones  at  unequal  dis- 


154 


HIGHWAYS STANDARDS. 


tances,  for  their  direction  through  this  desert,  Y?  e have 
derived  great  assistance  from  them  in  this  respect.” 

By  “ lifting  up  a standard,”  may  be  understood  almost 
any  sign,  as  the  word  is  very  general  in  its  signification. 
Irwin  takes  notice  of  its  having  been  customary  to  light 
up  fires  on  the  mountains  within  view  of  a town  on  the 
Red  sea,  in  which  he  then  was,  to  give  notice  of  the 
approach  of  the  caravans.  These  signals  are  of  use  on 
various  accounts,  more  particularly  in  order  that  the 
caravans  may  be  met  with  assistance. — Harmer's  Ob~ 
servations , vol.  ii.,  pp.  283-287. 


155 


CHAPTER  X. 

Agriculture — Ploughshares — Dove-houses  for  Manure — Pigeon- 
houses  in  Egypt — Method  of  Watering — Gathering  and  Win- 
nowing Corn — Threshing  Corn — Use  of  Oxen  thereto — Hay 
and  Oats — Tares — Mustard-Seed — Gardens — Watering  Gar- 
dens— Grafting — Vineyards — Vines — Wine-presses — Apples. 

PLOUGHSHARES. 

Isaiah  ii.  4. 

“ They  shall  beat  their  swords  into  ploughshares  . . . ; 
neither  shall  they  learn  war  any  more.” 

In  Egypt,  they  plough  with  two  oxen.  The  plough  is 
remarkably  light,  and  has  only  one  handle,  which  the 
ploughman  holds  with  one  hand,  and  carries  a long  stick 
in  the  other. — Richardson's  Travels. 

In  Persia,  it  is  for  the  most  part  drawn  by  one  ox  on- 
ly, and  not  unfrequently  even  by  an  ass,  although  it  is 
more  ponderous  than  in  Palestine. — See  Isaiah  xxxii, 
20. — Morier .. 


156 


PLOUGHSHARES. 


With  such  an  imperfect  instrument,  the  Syrian  hus- 
bandman can  do  little  more  than  scratch  the  surface  of 
the  field,  or  clear  away  the  stones  or  weeds  that  en- 
cumber it,  and  prevent  the  seed  from  reaching  the  soil. 
The  ploughshare  is  a piece  of  iron,  broad,  but  not 
large,  which  tips  the  end  of  the  shaft.  So  much  does  it 
resemble  the  short-sword  used  by  the  ancient  warriors, 
that  it  may  with  veiy  little  trouble  be  converted  into 
that  deadly  weapon.  In  allusion  to  this,  the  prophet 
Joel  summons  the  nations  to  leave  their  peaceful  em- 
ployments in  the  cultivated  field,  and  buckle  on  their 
armor. 

“I  obtained,”  writes  an  Eastern  traveller,  “ a model 
of  a plough  at  Nazareth.  It  is  differently  constructed 
from  that  used  in  Britain.  It  is  not  moved  upon  wheels. 
The  share,  which  is  small,  scarcely  grazes  the  earth ; 
and  it  has  only  one  handle,  or  shaft,  with  a small  piece 
of  wood  across  the  top,  for  the  husbandman  to  guide  it, 
resembling  the  head  of  a staff,  or  the  handle  of  a spade. 
The  man  holds  this  in  his  right  hand,  and  carries  a long 
stick  in  his  left,  with  which  he  goads  the  oxen.  The 
whole  machine  is  made  so  extremely  light  that  a person 
might  with  facility  carry  it  in  his  arms.  The  share  is 
covered  with  a piece  of  broad  iron,  pointed  at  the  end, 
so  as  it  might  be  converted  into  a weapon  of  warfare. 
In  all  probability  it  is  to  this  peculiarity  that  one  of  the 
prophets  refers,  where  he  calls  on  the  nations  to  relin- 
quish rural  occupations,  and  convert  their  ploughs  into 
instruments  of  battle.” — Rae  Wilson’s  Travels  in  the 
Holy  Land , vol.  i.,  p.  401. 


DOVE-HOUSES. 

Isaiah  lx.  8. 

- “ Who  are  these  that  fly  as  a cloud,  and  as  the  doves 
to  their  windows  ?” 


DOVE-HOUSES. 


157 


2 Kings  vi.  25. 

“ The  fourth  part  of  a cab  of  dove’s  dung  [was  sold] 
for  five  pieces  of  silver.” 

In  the  environs  of  the  city  of  Ispahan,  in  Persia,  a^ 
many  pigeon-houses,  erected  at  a distance  from  habit* 
tions,  for  the  sole  purpose  of  collecting  pigeon’s  dung  for 
manure.  They  are  large  round  towers,  rather  broader 
at  the  bottom  than  the  top,  and  crowned  by  conical 
spiracles,  through  which  the  pigeons  descend.  Their 
interior  resembles  a honey-comb,  pierced  with  a thou- 
sand holes  ; each  of  which  forms  a snug  retreat  for  a 
nest.  More  care  appears  to  have  been  bestowed  upon 
their  outside,  than  upon  that  of  the  generality  of  the 
dwelling-houses  (the  exteriors  of  which  are  little  stud- 
ied) ; for  they  are  painted  and  ornamented.  The  extra- 
ordinary flights  of  pigeons  which  I have  seen  alight 
upon  one  of  these  buildings  afford,  perhaps,  a good 
illustration  for  the  passage  in  Isaiah  : “ Who  are  these 
that  fly  as  a cloud,  and  as  the  doves  to  their  windows  ?” 
Their  great  numbers,  and  the  compactness  of  their  mass, 
literally  look  like  a cloud  at  a distance,  and  obscure  the 
sun  in  their  passage.  The  dung  of  pigeons  is  the  dear- 
est manure  that  the  Persians  use  ; and  as  they  apply  it 
almost  entirely  for  the  rearing  of  melons,  it  is  probably 
on  that  account  that  the  melons  of  Ispahan  are  so  much 
finer  than  those  of  other  cities.  The  revenue  of  a pi- 
geon-house is  about  one  hundred  tomauns  per  annum  ; 
and  the  great  value  of  this  dung,  which  rears  a fruit 
that  is  indispensable  to  the  existence  of  the  natives 
during  the  great  heats  of  summer,  will  probably  throw 
light  upon  that  passage  of  Scripture,  when,  in  the  fam- 
ine of  Samaria,  the  fourth  part  of  a cab  of  dove’s  dung 
was  sold  for  five  pieces  of  silver.  (2  Kings  vi.  25.) — * 
Morier’s  Second  Journey  through  Persia , tyc.j  pp.  140* 
141. 


14 


158 


DOVE-HOUSES-. 


PIGEON-HOUSES  IN  EGYPT. 

Psalm  lxviii.  13. 

u Though  ye  have  lien  among  the  pots,  yet  shall  ye 
be  as  the  wings  of  a dove,  covered  with  silver,  and  her 
feathers  with  yellow  gold.” 

In  many  villages  (in  Egypt),  large  pigeon-houses,  of  a 
square  form,  but  with  the  walls  slightly  inclining  inward, 
or  of  the  form  of  a sugar-loaf,  are  constructed  upon  the 
roofs  of  the  huts,  with  crude  bricks,  pottery,  and  mud. 

The  earthern  pots  used  in  the  construction  of  these 
pigeon-houses,  are  of  an  oval  form,  with  a wide  mouth, 
which  is  placed  outward,  and  a small  hole  at  the  other 
end.  Each  pair  of  pigeons  occupies  a separate  pot. — 
Lane's  Modern  Egyptians , vol.  i.,  p.  24,  note. 

METHOD  OF  WATERING. 

Deuteronomy  xi.  10,  11. 

“ The  land  whither  thou  goest  in  to  possess  it,  is  not 
as  the  land  of  Egypt,  from  whence  ye  came  out,  where 
thou  sowedst  thy  seed,  and  wateredst  it  with  thy  foot,  as 
a garden  of  herbs  : but  the  land  whither  ye  go  to  pos- 
sess it,  is  a land  of  hills  and  valleys,  and  drinketh  water 
of  the  rain  of  heaven.” 

In  Egypt  there  is  no  rain,  and  though  the  river  Nile 
waters  the  country  by  overflowing  its  banks,  still  im- 
mense labor  was  required  to  conduct  the  waters  of  this 
river  to  many  parts.  Large  canals  had  to  be  dug,  bricks, 
&c.,  to  be  prepared  for  lining  them  ; and  for  this  reason, 
in  Exodus  i.  14,  hard  bondage  in  bricks  and  mortar  is 
joined  with  other  labors  of  the  field.  It  must,  therefore, 
have  been  glad  tidings  to  the  Israelites,  that  in  the  coun- 
try whither  they  were  going,  no  such  services  would  be 
required  ; for  that  Canaan  drank  of  the  rain  of  heaven, 
and  nothing  but  the  gardens  of  herbs  would  require  to 
be  watered  by  art. 


METHOD  OF  WATERING. 


159 


The  words  “ wateredst  it  with  thy  foot”  are  curious, 
but  are  easily  explained.  In  Egypt,  such  vegetables  as 
require  more  moisture  than  the  inundation  of  the  Nile 
affords  them,  are  refreshed  by  water  drawn  out  of  the 
river  by  instruments,  and  lodged  in  large  cisterns.  When 
their  melons,  sugar-canes,  &c.,  want  water,  they  strike 
out  the  plugs  that  are  at  the  bottom  of  the  cisterns  ; and 
the  water  gushing  out  is  conducted  to  the  rills  in  which 
the  plantations  are,  by  the  gardener,  who  is  always  ready, 
as  occasion  requires,  to  stop  and  divert  the  torrent,  by 
turning  the  earth  against  it  with  his  foot,  and  opening,  at 
the  same  time,  a new  trench  to  receive  it. — Harmed s 
Observations , vol.  i.,  pp.  93-96. 

METHOD  OF  GATHERING  CORN. 

Psalm  cxxix.  6. 

“ Let  them  be  as  the  grass  upon  the  housetops,  which 
withereth  afore  it  groweth  up.” — ( Be  plucked  up) : pray- 
er-book version. 

The  following  extract  from  MaundrelVs  Travels  is  an 
illustration  of  this  verse.  He  writes  : “ All  that  occur- 
red to  us  new,  in  this  day’s  travel,  was  a particular  way 
used  by  the  country  people  in  gathering  their  corn  ; it 
being  now  harvest-time.  They  plucked  it  up  by  handfuls 
from  the  roots,  leaving  the  most  fruitful  fields  as  barren 
as  if  nothing  had  ever  grown  on  them.  This  was  their 
practice  in  all  places  of  the  East  that  I have  seen ; and 
the  reason  is,  that  they  may  lose  none  of  their  straw, 
which  is  generally  very  short,  and  necessary  for  the 
sustenance  of  their  cattle  ; no  hay  here  being  made.  I 
mention  this,  because  it  seems  to  give  light  to  that  ex- 
pression of  the  Psalmist,  ‘ which  withereth  before  it  be 
plucked  up where  there  seems  to  be  a manifest  allu- 
sion to  this  custom.  There  is,  indeed,  mention  of  a 
mower  in  the  next  verse  ; but  then  it  is  such  a mower 
cis  fills  not  his  hands,;  which  confirms,  rather  than 


160 


METHOD  OF  GATHERING  CORN. 


weakens  the  preceding  interpretation.” — MaundrelVs 
Journey  from  Aleppo  to  Jerusalem , p.  144. 

WINNOWING  CORN. 

Ruth  iii.  2. 

Behold,  he  winnoweth  barley  to-night  in  the  thresh- 
ing-floor.” 

The  manner  of  winnowing  corn  in  warm  climates,  is 
to  throw  it  up  in  the  air  when  the  wind  is  brisk.  The 
grain  then  falls,  and  the  wind  carries  away  the  husk. 


In  Palestine,  as  in  other  countries  bordering  on  the  sea,- 
a breeze  usually  springs  up  from  the  sea  every  evening  ; 
and  this  explains  why  barley  should  be  winnowed  at 
night . — Calmet. 

It  is  not  many  years  since  this  was  the  usual  method 


THRESHING  CORN. 


161 


of  winnowing  in  the  west  of  England,  and  is  probably 
not  yet  entirely  laid  aside. 

THRESHING  CORN. 

Proverbs  xx.  26. 

“ A wise  king  scattereth  the  wicked,  and  bringeth  the 
wheel  over  them.” 

In  Egypt,  the  use  of  the  flail  is  unknown.  To  sepa- 
rate the  grain  from  the  straw,  the  inhabitants  prepare, 
with  a mixture  of  earth,  &c.,  spacious  floors,  well  beat, 
and  very  clean.  The  rice  is  spread  thereon,  in  thick 
layers.  They  have  then  a sort  of  cart,  formed  of  two 
pieces  of  wood  joined  together  by  two  cross-pieces.  It 
is  almost  in  the  shape  of  sledges  which  serve  for  the 
conveyance  of  burdens  in  the  streets  of  our  cities.  Be- 
tween the  longer  sides  of  this  sledge  are  fixed,  trans- 
versely, three  rows  of  small  wheels,  made  of  solid  iron, 
and  narrowed  off  toward  their  circumference.  On  the 
forepart  is  a wide  and  high  seat,  upon  which  a man  sits, 
driving  two  oxen  harnessed  to  the  machine.  The  whole 
moves  on  slowly,  and  always  in  a circular  direction, 
over  every  part  of  the  heap  of  rice,  until  there  remains 
no  more  grain  in  the  straw.  When  it  is  thus  beat,  it  is 
spread  in  the  air  to  be  dried.  Several  men  walk  abreast, 
to  turn  it  over,  each  of  whom,  with  his  foot,  makes  a 
furrow  in  the  layer  of  grain ; so  that  in  a few  moments 
the  whole  mass  is  moved,  and  that  part  which  was  un- 
derneath is  again  exposed  to  the  air. — Sonnini : Har- 
med s Observations , vol.  iv.,  pp.  134,  135. 

Thus  the  wheel  is  the  instrument  of  crushing  the 
grain,  and  causing  it  to  be  separated.  So  does  a wise 
king  bring  the  power  of  the  law  upon  the  wicked, 
crushes  their  conspiracies,  defeats  their  projects,  and 
gains  an  entire  victory  over  their  secret  and  malicious 
designs. 


14* 


162 


OXEN. 


OXEN. 

Deuteronomy  xxv.  4. 

“ Thou  shalt.  not  muzzle  the  ox  when  he  treadeth  out 
the  corn.” 

The  following  extract  from  the  journal  of  the  Rev. 
M.  Hill  bears  upon  this  passage,  which  is  quoted  by  St. 
Paul  in  his  first  epistle  to  the  Corinthians  : 

“ November  27, 1826. — Left  Berhampore,  and  arrived 
at  Doulta.  The  country  on  every  side  exhibited  the 
pleasing  scenes  of  industry.  Some  persons  were  pre- 
paring the  ground  by  digging,  and  others  by  ploughing 


with  oxen,  for  a future  crop.  Others  were  cutting  their 
harvest  of  rice,  and  others  treading  out  their  grain , 
after  the  manner  described  in  Scripture.  At  one  place 


OXEN. 


163 


l noticed  two  sets  of  oxen,  four  abreast,  the  one  set  fol- 
lowing the  other  in  a circle,  and  which  as  they  trod  out 
the  grain,  continued  eating.  I inquired  of  the  men  why 
they  permitted  the  oxen  to  eat  ? They  replied,  ‘ It  is 
contrary  to  our  shasters  (holy  books)  to  muzzle  the  ox 
that  treadeth  out  the  corn?  " 

In  Greece,  horses  are  employed  to  tread  out  the  corn, 
as  was  sometimes  the  case  in  Judea  (Isaiah  xxviii.  28) : 
and  with  regard  to  them,  the  law  is  observed  which 
Moses  gave  to  the  Jews  concerning  oxen.  (Deut.  xxv. 
41.)  Hence  they  find  means,  in  the  progress  of  their 
labor,  to  partake  pretty  largely  both  of  the  straw  and  of 
the  grain. — Hartley's  Researches , p.  366. 

HAY  AND  OATS  NOT  USED  IN  THE  EAST. 

1 Kings  iv,  28. 

(They  brought)  “ barley  also  and  straw  for  the  horses. 

Neither  hay  nor  oats  are  known  to  the  Turks  ; nor 
has  any  nation  in  the  East  ever  used  them  for  their 
horses. — Walpole's  MSS.  Journal;  Note,  Clarke's 
Travels , vol.  iii.,  p.  234. 

TARES. 

Matthew  xiii.  25. 

“ His  enemy  came  and  sowed  tares  among  the  wheat.” 
See  the  whole  parable. 

“ The  following  incident,”  observes  Mr.  Wilson, 
“ tends,  I think,  to  explain  a parable  of  our  Lord  in 
Matt,  xiii.: — 

“ The  wife  of  religious  ministers  is  styled  in  Greece 
Mrs.  Priestess.  On  one  occasion  I observed  Mrs. 
Priestess  and  her  children,  during  my  stay  in  their 
house,  appear  very  much  indisposed,  and  inquired  the 
reason.  4 Sir,’  said  she,  6 we  have  eaten  some  zizania? 
This  is  the  word  translated  - tares  in  the  Gospel  of  St. 


164 


TARES. 


Matthew.  They  had  unwittingly  eaten  this  deleterious 
grain  as  genuine  corn,  and  I observed  that  headache  and 
sickness  were  the  result.” 

This  zizania  is  considered  to  be  the  plant  called  darnel , 
well  known  to  the  people  of  Aleppo.  It  grows  among 
corn  : the  reapers  do  not  separate  the  plant,  but,  after 
threshing,  they  reject  the  seeds  by  means  of  a fan  or 
seive.  So  in  the  parable  the  plant  is  described  as  grow- 
ing among  corn  : the  reapers  do  not  separate  it, — both 
grow  together  until  the  harvest.  According  to  Johnson, 
darnel  is  the  first  of  hurtful  weeds.  Its  leaves  resemble 
those  of  wheat  or  barley,  but  spring  up  rougher.  The 
grains  having  scarcely  any  husk,  are  easily  scattered 
among  the  corn  where  it  grows. — Rev.  S.  S.  Wilson's 
Travels. 

MUSTARD. 

Matthew  xiii.  31,  32. 

“ The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  to  a grain  of  mus- 
tard-seed, which  a man  took,  and  sowed  in  his  field  : 
which  indeed  is  the  least  of  all  seeds : but  when  it  is 
grown,  it  is  the  greatest  among  herbs,  and  becometh  a 
tree,  so  that  the  birds  of  the  air  come  and  lodge  in  the 
branches  thereof.” 

A traveller*  in  the  East  informs  us  that  the 
mustard  plant  thrives  so  mightily  in  Chili,  that  it  is  as 
big  as  a man’s  arm,  and  so  high  and  thick  that  it  looks 
like  a tree.  “ I have  travelled  many  leagues,”  he  writes, 
“ through  groves  which  were  taller  than  horse  and  man, 
and  the  birds  build  their  nests  in  them,  as  the  Gospel 
mentions. 

GARDENS. 

Isaiah  lviii.  11. 

“ Thou  shalt  be  like  a watered  garden.” 

“ The  town  of  Tayf,”  writes  an  Eastern  traveller,  “is 
* Ovalle. 


GARDENS. 


165 


celebrated  all  over  Arabia  for  its  beautiful  gardens. 
They  are  watered  by  wells  and  rivulets , which  descend 
from  the  mountains.  Numerous  fruit-trees  are  found 
in  them,  grapes  of  a very  large  size  and  exquisite  fla- 
vor, and  abundance  of  roses.  The  gardens  of  Koba 
are  equally  beautiful.  They  spread  over  a space  of  four 
or  five  miles  in  circuit,  and  form  a most  fertile  and  agree- 
able spot.  All  kinds  of  fruit-trees  (with  the  exception 
of  apple  and  pear,  neither  of  which,  I believe.,  grow  in 
Arabia)  are  seen  in  the  gardens,  which  are  all  enclosed 
by  walls,  and  watered  by  numerous  wells.  Lemon  and 
orange-trees,  pomegranates,  vines,  peach,  apricot,  fig- 
trees,  and  palm-trees,  form  thick  groves  ; and  many  sick 
persons  are  carried  there  to  enjoy  the  shade.” 

Of  the  garden  of  Roda,  Lord  Lindsay  says,  It  is 
indeed  a lovely  spot.  One  walk,  with  borders  of  myrtle, 
particularly  charmed  me,  leading  between  rows  of 
orange-trees  in  full  bearing  to  a fountain  surrounded  by 
cypress-trees.  Rosemary  edges  the  walk  like  box  in 
England,  and  roses  bloom  in  profusion,  and  gorgeous 
butterflies  were  flitting  about  in  every  direction.  Little 
canals  for  irrigation  are  conducted  all  over  the  garden, 
some  of  them  of  hewn  stone,  others  merely  dug  in  the 
earth  ; and  the  water  is  transferred  from  one  into  the 
other  by  opening  or  damming  it  with  the  foot,  as  in 
Moses’s  time,” — See  Lord  Lindsay's  Letters  from  the 
Holy  Landi  fyc?  vel.  i.,  p.  56. 

WATERING  GARDENS. 

Ecclesiastes  xii.  6. 

“ Or  the  pitcher  be  broken  at  the  fountain,  or  the 
wheel  broken  at  the  cistern.” 

At  Smyrna,  and  in  many  other  places,  water  is  pro- 
cured for  irrigating  gardens  in  the  following  manner. 
A large  wheel  is  fixed  over  the  mouth  of  the  well  in  a 
vertical  position.  A number  of  pitchers  are  attached  to 
the  wheel,  in  such  a manner  that,  by  means  of  its  revo- 


166 


WATERING  GARDENS. 


lution,  which  is  effected  by  a horse,  they  are  continually 
descending  and  filling,  and  ascending  and  discharging 
themselves. — Hartley's  Researches  in  Greece , <fyc.,  pp. 
213,  214. 

GRAFTING. 

Romans  xi.  17,24. 

“ And  if  some  of  the  branches  be  broken  off,  and 
thou,  being  a wild  olive-tree,  wert  graffed  in  among 
them,  and  with  them  partakest  of  the  root  and  fatness  of 

the  olive-tree If  thou  wert  cut  out  of  the  olive- 

tree,  which  is  wild  by  nature,  and  wert  graffed  contrary 
to  nature  into  a good  olive-tree.” 

John  xv.  2. 

“ Every  branch  in  me  that  beareth  not  fruit  he  taketh 
away : and  every  branch  that  beareth  fruit,  he  purgeth 
it,  that  it  may  bring  forth  more  fruit.” 

“ In  the  Morea,”  writes  Mr.  Hartley,  in  his  Re- 
searches, “ I had  my  attention  directed  to  the  practice 
of  grafting  the  olive-trees,  to  which  St.  Paul  alludes. 
My  friend  showed  me  a few  wild  olives  ; but  by  far  the 
greater  number  are  such  as  have  been  grafted.  He 
informs  me  that  it  is  the  universal  practice  in  Greece  to 
graft  from  a good  tree\ipon  the  wild  olive.  I also  noticed 
the  manner  in  which  the  vine  is  cut  or  purged.  Only 
two  or  three  of  the  principal  sprouts  are  permitted  to 
grow  up  from  the  root ; the  rest  are  cut  off ; and  this 
practice  is  often  called  by  the  Greeks  cleaning .”  It  may 
be  added  that  the  word  translated  severity , in  Romans 
xi.  22,  properly  denotes  excision , cutting  off \ as  the  gar- 
dener cuts  off,  with  a pruning-knife,  dead  boughs  or  lux- 
uriant stems. — Hartley's  Researches , 8pc.,  p.  314. 

VINEYARDS. 

Psalm  lxxx.  13. 

“ The  bear  out  of  the  wood  doth  waste  it,  and  the 
wild  beast  of  the  field  doth  devour  it.” 


VINEYARDS.  167 

B 

“ My  friend,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Leeves,  was  proceeding  in 
the  dusk  of  the  evening  from  Constantinople  to  Therapia. 
Passing  through  a vineyard,  he  observed  an  animal  of 
large  size  rushing  from  among  the  vines,  crossing  the 
road,  and  taking  to  flight  with  great  precipitation.  His 
Greek  companion,  who  was  riding  first,  exclaimed,  ‘Wild 
boar  ! wild  boar  !’  and  it  really  proved  a wild  boar,  who 
was  retreating  from  the  vineyards  to  the  woods.  ‘ What 
has  the  wild  boar  to  do  in  the  vineyard  V inquired  Mr. 
Leeves.  ‘ Oh,’  said  the  Greek,  ‘ ’tis  the  custom  of  the 
wild  boars  to  frequent  the  vineyards,  and  to  devour  the 
grapes.’ — And  it  is  astonishing  what  havoc  a wild  boar 
is  capable  of  making.  What  with  eating,  and  what  with 
trampling  under  foot,  he  will  destroy  an  immense  quan- 
tity of  grapes.” — Rev.  J.  Hartley's  Researches  in  Greece 
the  Levant , p.  212. 


168 


VINES. 


VINES. 

Genesis  xlix.  22. 

“ Joseph  is  a fruitful  bough,  even  a fruitful  bough  by 
a well ; whose  branches  run  over  the  wall.” 

The  vineyards  in  Persia  are  generally  enclosed  by 
high  walls.  The  Persian  vine-dressers  do  all  in  their 
power  to  make  the  vine  run  up  the  wall,  and  curl  over 
on  the  other  side,  which  they  do  by  tying  stones  to  the 
extremity  of  the  tendril.  May  not  this  illustrate  that 
beautiful  image  used  in  Genesis  lxix.  22.  “ Joseph  is 

a fruitful  bough,”  &c.  The  vine,  particularly  in  Turkey 
and  Greece,  is  frequently  made  to  entwine  on  trellises, 
around  a well , where  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  whole  fam- 
ilies collect  themselves,  and  sit  under  the  shade. — Mo- 
rier's  Second  Journey  through  Persia , fyc.,  p.  232. 

Psalms  cxxviii.  3. 

“ Thy  wife  shall  be  as  a fruitful  vine  by  the  sides  of 
thy  house : thy  children  like  olive-plants  round  about  thy 
table.” 

“ It  is  very  common,”  says  Dr.  Russell,  “ to  cover 
the  stairs  leading  to  the  upper  apartments  of  the  harem 
with  the  vines.  And  they  have  often  a lattice- work  of 
wood  raised  against  the  dead  walls  (see  prayer-book 
version  of  the  psalm),  for  a vine  or  other  shrub  to  crawl 
upon. 

WINE-PRESSES. 

Matthew  xxi.  3. 

“ There  was  a certain  householder,  which  planted  a 
vineyard,  and  digged  a wine-press  in  it.” 

The  wine-presses  in  Persia  are  formed  by  making 
(digging)  hollow  places  in  the  ground,  lined  with  mason’s 
work. — Harmcr's  Observations , vol.  ii.,  p.  152. 


WINE-PRESSES. 


169 


While  traveling  in  the  Morea,  Mr.  Hartley  observes, 
u wine-presses  are  still  to  be  met  with  in  the  vineyards.” 
— Hartley's  Researches , tf-c.,  p.  360. 

CITRON  TREE— APPLES. 

Canticles  ii.  3,  5. 

“ As  the  apple-tree  among  the  trees  of  the  wrood,  so 
is  my  beloved  among  the  sons.  I sat  down  under  his 
shadow  with  great  delight,  and  his  fruit  was  sweet  to 
my  taste.  . . . Stay  me  with  flagons,  comfort  me  with 
apples .” 

Canticles  vii.  8. 

“ The  smell  of  thy  nose  like  apples.” 

Proverbs  xxv.  11. 

“ A word  fitly  spoken  is  like  apples  of  gold  in  pictures 
[or  baskets]  of  silver.” 

The  fruit  which  we  call  apples,  are  in  Judea  both 
rare  and  of  a very  poor  kind.  But  the  tree  now  called 
in  the  East  the  citron  exactly  agrees  with  the  descrip- 
tion given  in  Scripture  of  that  which  has  been  rendered 
in  our  translation  “ apple- tree.” 

Citron-trees  are  very  noble,  being  large,  and  their 
leaves  very  beautiful,  always  continuing  upon  the  tree, 
of  an  exquisite  smell,  and  affording  a most  delightful 
shade.  “I  sat  down  under  his  shadow  with  great  delight.” 
(Canticles  ii.  3.)  The  orange-tree  is  so  like  the  citron 
that  a common  observer  can  hardly  distinguish  between 
them  when  they  are  not  in  fruit — and  even  the  color  of 
the  latter  is  the  same  in  both,  viz.,  that  of  gold.  Thus 
a traveller,  describing  the  palace  of  a prince,  on  the 
coast  of  Syria,  prefers  the  orange-g arden  to  everything 
else,  the  walks  being  shaded  with  orange-trees  of  alarge 
spreading  kind,  and  gilded  with  fruit. 

The  fragrancy  of  the  citron-fruit  is  admirable,  and  their 
peel  is  as  reviving  as  their  juice  is  refreshing.  We  are 
15 


170 


CITRON  TREE APPLES. 


told  of  an  Arabian  who  was  in  a great  measure  brought 
to  himself,  when  overcome  by  wine,  with  thq  help  of 
citrons  and  coffee.  “ His  fruit  was  sweet  to  my  taste. 
Stay  me  with  flagons  [with  wine,  that  is,  that  was  given 
to  those  who  were  faint],  comfort  me  with  citrons,” 
which  are  so  refreshing.*  The  first-fruits  were  carried 
to  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem  in  silver  baskets  ; and  Solo- 
mon represents  a word  fitly  spoken  as  being  beautiful  as 
golden  citrons  shining  through  the  net-work  of  silver 
baskets. 


* Harmer’s  Observations,  vol.  ii.,  pp.  157-161. 


171 


CHAPTER  XI. 


Markets — Streets  for  Trades — Taskmasters — Method  of  hiring 
Laborers — Agreements — W eighing  Money — Tax-gatherers — 
Courts  of  Justice — Laws — Curious  Mode  of  Decision. 


MARKETS. 

2 Kings  vii.  1. 

“ Then  Elisha  said,  Hear  ye  the  word  of  the  Lord ; 
Thus  saith  the  Lord,  To-morrow  about  this  time  shall 
a measure  of  fine  flour  be  sold  for  a shekel,  and  two 
measures  of  barley  for  a shekel,  in  the  gate  of  Samaria.” 

Mr.  Morier  observes  : “ In  our  rides  we  usually  went 
out  of  the  town  [Teheran,  in  Persia],  at  the  gate  lead- 
ing to  the  village  of  Shah  Abdul  Azum,  where  a market 
was  held  every  morning,  particularly  of  horses,  mules, 
asses,  and  camels.  At  about  sunrise,  the  owners  of  the 
animals  assemble,  and  exhibit  them  for  sale.  But  be- 
sides, here  were  sellers  of  all  sorts  of  goods,  in  tempo- 
rary shops  and  tents  ; and  this,  perhaps,  will  explain  the 
custom  alluded  to  in  2 Kings  vii.,  of  the  sale  of  barley 
and  flour  in  the  gate  of  Samaria.” — Morier1 s Second  Jour- 
ney through  Persia , c^c.,  p.  190. 

STREETS  APPROPRIATED  TO  PARTICULAR  TRADES 
IN  THE  EAST. 

Jeremiah  xxxvii.  21. 

“ Then  Zedekiah  the  king  commanded  that  they 
should  commit  Jeremiah  into  the  court  of  the  prison, 
and  that  they  should  give  him  daily  a piece  of  bread  out 
of  the  bakers1  street11 


172 


STREETS  FOR  TRADES. 


The  great  thoroughfare  streets  of  Cairo  generally 
have  a row  of  shops  along  each  side  ; commonly  a por- 
tion of  a street,  or  a whole  street,  contains  chiefly,  or 
solely,  shops  appropriated  to  one  particular  trade,  and  is 


called  the  “ market ” of  that  trade.  Thus  a part  of  the 
principal  streets  of  the  city  is  called  the  market  of  the 
sellers  of  copper  wares  ; another  part  is  called  the  mar- 
ket of  the  jewellers,  &c .—Lane's  Modern  Egyptians. 

TASKMASTERS. 

Exodus  v. 

Mr.  Morier  thus  describes  the  building  of  a fort  in 


TASKMASTERS. 


173 


Persia:  “We  found  about  one  hundred  peasants  at  work 
upon  it.  The  walls  are  made  with  sun-burnt  bricks,  with 
a previous  foundation  of  common  stone,  and  the  arch- 
ways of  the  gates  of  bricks  baked  in  a kiln.  The  bricks 
baked  in  the  sun  are  composed  of  earth  dug  from  pits  in 
the  vicinity,  which  is  mixed  up  with  straw,  and  then, 
from  the  form  in  which  they  have  been  cast,  are  ar- 
ranged on  a flat  spot  in  rows,  where  the  sun  hardens 
them.  This  style  of  building  is  called  the  ‘ kah-gil,’  or 
straw  and  clay.  The  peasants  who  were  at  work  had  been, 
as  usual,  collected  by  force,  and  were  superintended  by 
several  of  the  king’s  officers,  who,  with  hard  words,  and 
sometimes  harder  blows,  hastened  them  in  their  opera- 
tions. Their  fate  resembled  that  of  the  Israelites,  who 
no  doubt  were  employed  in  the  same  manner  in  build- 
ings for  Pharaoh,  and  with  the  same  sort  of  materials. 
Their  bricks  were  mixed  up  with  straw  ; they  had  to 
make  a certain  quantity  daily ; and  their  taskmasters 
treated  them  cruelly  if  their  task  was  not  accomplished. 
The  complaints  which  they  made  were  natural,  and 
resembled  the  language  used  frequently  on  similar  occa- 
sions by  the  oppressed  in  Persia.  ‘ There  is  no  straw 
given  unto  thy  servants,  and  they  say  to  us,  Make  brick; 
and,  behold,  thy  servants  are  beaten  ; but  the  fault  is  in 
thine  own  people.’  Part  of  the  laborers  were  occupied 
in  treading  mortar,  part  in  bringing  clay,  and  several 
were  employed  at  the  brick-kilns,  which  had  been  erected 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  building,  for  baking  the 
bricks.” — Morier’s  Second  Journey  through  Persia,  tfc., 
pp.  199,  200. 

Exodus  i.  8-14  ; v.  13,  14. 

“ Now  there  arose  up  a new  king  over  Egypt,  which 
knew  not  Joseph.  And  he  said  unto  his  people,  Behold, 
the  people  of  the  children  of  Israel  are  more  and  mightier 
than  we  : Come  on,  let  us  deal  wisely  with  them  .... 
Therefore  they  did  set  over  them  taskmasters  to  afflict 
them  with  their  burdens And  the  Egyptians 


15* 


174 


TASKMASTERS. 


made  the  children  of  Israel  to  serve  with  rigor : and 
they  made  their  lives  bitter  with  hard  bondage,  in  mor- 
tar, and  in  brick,  and  in  all  manner  of  service  in  the 
field.  n 

“ And  the  taskmasters  hasted  them,  saying,  Fulfil 
your  works,  your  daily  tasks  . . And  the  officers  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  which  Pharaoh’s  taskmasters  had  set 
over  them,  were  beaten.” 

The  present  pacha  (or  governor)  of  Egypt  is  a man 
of  talent,  power,  and  wisdom,  and  has  done  much  to 
improve  his  country.  At  the  same  time  he  exercises 
great  tyranny  in  the  way  in  which  he  compels  the  ser- 
vices of  his  people.  u We  cannot  be  insensible,”  ob- 
serves a recent  traveller  in  Egypt,  “ to  the  cries  of  suf- 
fering raised  by  the  children,  women,  and  old  blind  men 
and  cripples,  who  are  condemned  under  the  terrors  of 
the  club,  to  the  severest  labor,  without  being  implicated 
in  any  crime,  save  that  of  having  been  born  in  this  land 
of  oppression !” 

The  following  circumstance  is  related  by  an  eye- 
witness, and  is  a lively  comment  upon  the  narrative  of 
the  sacred  historian  : — 

“ Having  ridden  out  early  one  morning,  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Alexandria,”  this  gentleman  writes,  “ we 
suddenly  heard  the  sounds  of  music  from  without,  and 
perceived  it  was  the  pacha  himself,  with  his  guard,  who 
had  just  arrived  from  Cairo.  He  was  on  foot,  and 
stood  on  the  lofty  bank  of  a new  canal  he  was  making, 
earnestly  observing  the  innumerable  workmen  beneath. 
The  bed  of  the  canal  below  presented  a novel  specta- 
cle, being  filled  with  vast  numbers  of  Arabs  of  various 
colors,  toiling  in  the  intense  heat  of  the  day,  while 
their  Egyptian  taskmasters,  with  whips  in  their  hands, 
watched  the  progress  of  their  labor.  It  was  a just  and 
lively  representation  of  the  children  of  Israel,  forced 
to  toil  by  their  oppressive  masters  of  old.  The  wages 
allowed  these  unfortunate  people,  who  had  been  obliged 


TASKMASTERS. 


175 


to  quit  their  homes  and  families  in  Upper  Egypt,  to  toil 
about  this  work,  were  only  a penny  a day  and  a ration 
of  bread.  Yet  such  is  the  buoyancy  of  spirits  of  the 
Arabs,  that  they  go  through  their  heavy  toil  with  gayety 
and  cheerfulness.” — Carrie's  Eastern  Letters , pp.  71,  72 

MODE  OF  HIRING  LABORERS. 

Matthew  xx.  3,  6,  7. 

“ He  went  out  about  the  third  hour,  and  saw  others 
[laborers]  standing  idle  in  the  market-place  ...... 

And  about  the  eleventh  hour  he  went  out,  and  found 
others  standing  idle,  and  saith  unto  them,  Why  stand 
ye  here  all  the  day  idle  ? They  say  unto  him,  Because 
no  man  hath  hired  us.” — (See  whole  parable.) 

The  most  conspicuous  building  in  Hamadam  (in  Per- 
sia), is  a large  mosque,  now  falling  into  decay,  and  be- 
fore it  a square,  which  serves  as  a market-place.  Here 


176 


MODE  OF  HIRING  LABORERS. 


we  observed,  every  morning  before  the  sun  rose,  that  a 
numerous  body  of  peasants  were  collected,  with  spades 
in  their  hands,  waiting,  as  they  informed  us,  to  be  hired 
for  the  day  to  work  in  the  surrounding  fields.  This 
custom,  which  I have  never  seen  in  any  other  part  of 
Asia,  forcibly  struck  us  as  a most  happy  illustration  of 
our  Savior’s  parable  of  the  laborers  in  the  vineyard,  in 
the  twentieth  chapter  of  Matthew  ; particularly  when 
passing  by  the  same  place  late  in  the  day,  we  still  found 
“ others  standing  idle,”  and  remembered  his  words, 
“ Why  stand  ye  here  all  the  day  idle  ?”  as  most  appli- 
cable to  their  situation ; for,  in  putting  the  very  same 
question  to  them,  they  answered  us,  “ Because  no  man 
hath  hired  us.” — Morier's  Second  Journey  through  Per- 
sia, p.  265. 

MANNER  OF  EXPRESSING  CONSENT  AND  AGREE- 
MENT IN  THE  EAST. 

Matthew  vi.  3. 

“ When  thou  doest  alms,  let  not  thy  left  hand  know 
what  thy  right  hand  doeth.” 

Proverbs  vi.  13. 

“ He  winketh  with  his  eyes,  he  speaketh  with  his 
feet,  he  teacheth  with  his  fingers.” 

Mr.  Jowett  thus  describes  a common  Eastern  cus- 
tom, on  the  occasion  of  his  parting  from  a Samaritan 
priest  : 

“ The  manner,”  writes  this  gentleman,  “ in  which  the 
priest  desired  me,  on  parting,  to  express  our  mutual 
goodwill,  was  by  an  action  than  which  there  is  not  one 
more  common  in  all  the  Levant.  He  put  the  forefinger 
of  his  right  hand  parallel  to  that  of  his  left,  and  then 
rapidly  rubbed  them  together,  while  I was  expected  to 
do  the  same,  repeating  the  words  ‘ Right,  right,’  or,  in 
common  acceptation,  ‘ Together,  together.’  ” 


MANNER  OF  EXPRESSING  AGREEMENT. 


177 


It  is  in  this  manner  that  persons  express  their  consent, 
on  all  occasions,  on  concluding  a bargain,  on  engaging  to 
bear  one  another  company,  and  on  every  kind  of  friendly 
agreement,  or  good  understanding.  May  not  this  serve 
to  explain  the  phrase  in  Matthew  vi.  3,  “ Let  not  thy  left 
hand  know  what  thy  right  hand  doeth that  is,  let  not 
thy  heart  consent  to  its  own  good  thoughts  with  a sinful 
self-applause.  So  much  is  said  in  the  Old  Testament, 
of  speaking  with  the  eyes,  hands,  and  even  feet,  that  it 
is  scarcely  understood  by  Englishmen.  They  should 
see  the  expressive  and  innumerable  gesticulations  of 
foreigners,  when  they  converse.  Many  a question  is 
answered,  and  many  a significant  remark  conveyed,  by 
even  children,  who  learn  this  language  much  sooner 
than  their  mother-tongue.  Perhaps  the  expression  of 
Solomon,  that  the  wicked  man  speaketh  with  his  feet , 
may  appear  more  natural  when  it  is  considered  that  the 
mode  of  sitting  on  the  ground  in  the  East  brings  the 
feet  into  view,  nearly  in  the  same  direct  line  as  the 
hands  ; the  whole  body  crouching  down  together,  and 
the  hands,  in  fact,  often  resting  upon  the  feet. — Jowetfs 
Christian  Researches  in  Syria , pp.  283,  284. 

Genesis  xxiii.  10,  11. — (See  whole  chapter.) 

“ And  Ephron  the  Hittite  answered  Abraham,  . . . 
saying,  Nay,  my  lord,  hear  me  : the  field  give  I thee, 
and  the  cave  that  is  therein  I give  it  thee.” 

The  peasants  in  Egypt  will  often  say,  when  a person 
asks  the  price  of  anything  which  they  have  for  sale, 
“ Receive  it  as  a present,”  as  Ephron  did  to  Abraham, 
when  the  latter  expressed  his  wish  to  purchase  the  field 
and  cave  of  Machpelah.  This  answer  having  become  a 
common  form  of  speech,  they  know  that  advantage  will 
not  b^  taken  of  it ; and  when  desired  again  to  name  the 
pr?  >e  they  wifi  do  so. — Lane's  Modern  Egyptians . 


178 


WEIGHING  MONEY. 


WEIGHING  MONEY. 

Genesis  xxiii.  16. 

“ And  Abraham  weighed  to  Ephron  the  silver,  which 
he  had  named  in  the  audience  of  the  sons  of  Heth,  four 
hundred  shekels  of  silver,  current  money  with  the  mer- 
chant.” 


Ezra  viii.  25. 

“ And  weighed  unto  them  the  silver,  and  the  gold.” 

“ Burmah  has  no  coinage.  Silver  and  lead  pass  in 
fragments  of  all  sizes  ; and  the  amount  of  every  trans- 


action is  regularly  weighed  out  as  was  done  by  the  an- 
cients.”— Rev.  H.  Malcom’s  Travels. 


TAX-GATHERERS. 


179 


TAX-GATHERERS. 

Matthew  ix.  9. 

“ And  as  Jesus  passed  forth  from  thence,  he  saw  a 
man,  named  Matthew,  sitting  at  the  receipt  of  custom  ; 
and  he  saith  unto  him,  Follow  me.  And  he  arose  and 
followed  him.” 

Any  person  may  see  this  ancient  custom  exemplified 
to  this  day,  at  the  gate  of  Smyrna.  The  collector  of 
customs  sits  there  in  the  house  allotted  him,  and  re- 
ceives the  money  which  is  due  from  various  persons 
and  commodities  entering  into  the  city.  The  exactions, 
and  rude  behavior  of  these  men  are  just  in  character 
with  the  conduct  of  the  publicans  mentioned  in  the  New 
Testament. — Hartley's  Researches , pp.  216,  217. 

In  Persia,  Mr.  Morier  met  with  “a  station  of  rahdars, 
or  toll-gatherers,  appointed  to  levy  a toll  upon  caravans 
of  merchants,  and  who,  in  general,  exercise  their  office 
with  so  much  brutality  and  extortion,  as  to  be  execrated 
by  all  travellers.  The  police  of  the  highways  is  confi- 
ded to  them,  and  whenever  any  goods  are  stolen,  they 
are  meant  to  be  the  instruments  of  restitution  ; but,  when 
they  are  put  to  the  test,  are  found  to  be  inefficient : none 
but  a man  in  power  can  hope  to  recover  what  he  has 
once  lost.  They  afford  but  little  protection  to  the  road, 
their  stations  being  placed  at  too  wide  intervals  to  be 
able  to  communicate  quickly  ; but  they  generally  are 
perfectly  acquainted  with  the  state  of  the  country,  and 
are  probably  leagured  with  the  thieves  themselves,  and 
can  thus,  if  they  choose,  discover  their  haunts.  Their 
insolence  to  travellers  is  unparalleled  : the  collections  of 
the  toll  are  farmed,  consequently  extortion  ensues  ; and 
as  most  of  the  rahdars  receive  no  other  emolument  than 
what  they  can  exact  over  and  above  the  prescribed  dues 
from  the  traveller,  their  insolence  is  accounted  for,  and 
a cause  sufficiently  powerful  is  given  for  their  insolence 


180 


TAX-GATHERERS. 


on  the  one  hand,  and  the  detestation  in  which  they  are 
held  on  the  other.  ‘ Bajgah’  means  4 the  place  of  trib- 
ute.’ It  may  also  be  rendered  4 the  receipt  of  custom 
and  perhaps  it  was  from  a place  like  this  that  our  Sav- 
ior called  Matthew  to  follow  him ; because  Matthew 
appears,  from  the  third  verse  of  the  tenth  chapter,  to 
have  been  a publican ; and  publicans,  who,  in  the  elev- 
enth verse  of  the  ninth  chapter,  are  classed  with  sin- 
ners, appear  to  have  been  held  in  the  same  odium  as 
are  the  rahdars  of  Persia.  It  also  explains  why  Mat- 
thew, who  was  seated  at  the  receipt  of  custom,  is  after- 
ward called  a publican  ; and  shows  that,  in  the  choice 
of  his  disciples,  our  Savior  took  them  not  only  from 
the  poorest  and  humblest  class  of  men,  but  also  from 
those  who,  from  their  particular  situation  in  life,  were 
hated  by  all  ranks.  Matthew,  as  a toll-gatherer,  must, 
like  the  rahdars,  have  been  a man  known  to  all  ranks 
of  people,  and  detested  on  account  of  his  profession. 
When  he  was  seen  having  ‘ power  against  unclean  spir- 
its,’ with  power  to  ‘ heal  all  manner  of  sickness  and 
disease,’  and  following  one  like  our  Savior,  his  life, 
when  compared  with  what  he  formerly  was,  must  have 
been  a constant  miracle. 

“ The  parable  of  the  Pharisee  and  publican  (Luke 
xviii.  10-14)  will  be  more  clearly  understood  by  what 
has  been  mentioned.  Our  Savior,  in  bringing  these 
two  characters  together,  appears  to  have  chosen  them 
as  making  the  strongest  contrast  between  what,  in  the 
public  estimation,  were  the  extremes  of  excellence  and 
villany.  The  sect  of  the  Pharisees  was  the  most  pow- 
erful among  the  Jews  ; and,  from  what  has  been  said 
of  the  rahdars,  it  may  perhaps  be  explained  why  the 
Pharisee  should  make  ‘ extortioners’  and  the  ‘ unjust’ 
almost  synonymous  terms  with  4 publicans  ;’  because  we 
have  seen  that,  from  the  peculiar  office  of  the  rahdar, 
he  is  almost  an  extortioner  by  profession.” — Morier's 
Second  Journey  through  Persia , pp.  69-71. 


181 


COURTS  OF  JUSTICE. 

Luke  xvi.  5-8. 

“ So  he  called  every  one  of  his  lord’s  debtors  unto 
him,  and  said  unto  the  first,  How  much  owest  thou  unto 
my  lord  ? And  he  said,  A hundred  measures  of  oil. 
And  he  said  unto  him,  Take  thy  bill,  and  sit  down 
quickly,  and  write  fifty.  Then  said  he  to  another.  And 
how  much  owest  thou  ? And  he  said,  A hundred 
measures  of  wheat.  And  he  said  unto  him,  Take  thy 
bill,  and  write  fourscore.” 


Our  Lord  here  probably  alluded  to  a custom  which 
still  prevails  in  the  Asiatic  countries,  as  is  evident  from 
the  following  account  taken  from  Captain  Hadly’s  Hm- 
doostan  Dialogues.  A person  thus  addresses  the  captain. 
“ Your  sirkar’s  deputy,  while  his  master  was  gone  to 
Calcutta,  established  a court  of  justice  ; having  searched 
16 


182 


COURTS  OF  JUSTICE. 


for  a good  many  debtors  and  their  creditors,  he  learned 
the  account  of  their  bonds.  He  then  made  an  agree- 
ment with  them  to  get  the  bonds  out  of  the  bondsmen’s 
hands  for  half  the  debt,  if  they  would  give  him  one 
fourth.  Thus  every  debtor  for  one  hundred  rupees, 
having  given  fifty  to  the  creditor,  and  twenty-five  to  this 
knave,  got  his  bond  for  seventy-five  rupees.  Having 
seized  and  flogged  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  bond- 
holders, he  has  in  this  manner  determined  their  loans, 
and  he  has  done  this  business  in  your  name.” — Captain 
Madly1  s Hindoostan  Dialogues . 


EASTERN  LAWS. 

Exodus  xxi.  24. 

“ Eye  for  eye,  tooth  for  tooth.”  See  Matt.  v.  38. 

Mr.  L.,  an  English  merchant,  had  some  years  ago  an 
affray  with  some  Moors,  who  insulted  him  as  he  was  one 
day  returning  from  shooting.  In  the  course  of  the 
scuffle,  which  originated  in  Mr.  L.’s  dog  attacking  a 
donkey  belonging  to  the  party,  the  merchant  accidentally 
knocked  out  two  teeth  from  an  old  woman,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  in  the  way.  Complaint  was  immediately 
made  to  the  governor  of  Mogadore,  who  was  obliged  to 
take  the  gentleman  into  custody,  to  protect  him  from 
the  anger  of  the  mob.  He  was  eventually  sent  to  the 
sultan  who  was  then  on  the  throne  of  Morocco,  a prince 
unusually  mild  for  a sovereign  of  Morocco.  Such  is  the 
strictures  with  which  the  law  on  this  head  is  observed, 
that  he  was  sentenced  to  have  two  of  his  teeth  taken 
out,  which  was  accordingly  done.  As  a mark  of  especial 
favor,  he  was  allowed  to  choose  which  two  teeth  he 
would  have  condemned. — See  Notes  to  Brookes * 
Sketches  in  Spain  and  Morocco. 


183 


CURIOUS  MODE  OF  DECISION. 

1 Kings  iii.  24-27. 

“ And  the  king  said,  Bring  me  a sword.  . . . Divide 
the  living  child  in  two,  and  give  half  to  the  one,  and 
half  to  the  other.  Then  spake  the  women  whose  the 
living  child  was,  ....  and  she  said,  O my  lord,  give 

her  the  living  child,  and  in  nowise  slay  it Then 

the  king  answered  and  said,  Give  her  the  living  child, 
and  in  nowise  slay  it : she  is  the  mother  thereof.” 

Such  a mode  of  decision  as  this  which  Solomon 
adopted  was  not  unknown  in  the  East. 

Ariophanes,  king  of  Thrace,  being  appointed  to  arbi- 
trate between  three  young  men,  each  claiming  to  be  the 
son  of  the  Cimmerians,  discovered  the  real  son  by 
desiring  each  to  shoot  an  arrow  into  the  dead  body  of 
him  they  called  their  father.  Two  of  the  claimants 
obeyed  without  hesitation,  but  the  third  refused  ; upon 
which  the  arbitrator  judged  him  to  be  the  genuine  prince. 
— Fisher’s  Historic  Illustrations  of  the  Bible. 


184 


CHAPTER  XII. 


Flocks  and  Herds  — Sheep  and  Shepherds  — Sheep-folds. 

FLOCKS  AND  HERDS. 

Genesis  xiii. 

“ And  Abram  went  up  out  of  Egypt,  he,  and  his  wife, 
and  all  that  he  had,  and  Lot  with  him,  into  the  south. 
And  Abram  was  very  rich  in  cattle,  ....  and  Lot  also 
....  had  flocks,  and  herds,  and  tents.  And  the  land 
was  not  able  to  bear  them,  that  they  might  dwell  together  : 

for  their  substance  was  great And  there  was  a 

strife  between  the  herdmen  of  Abram’s  cattle,  and  the 

herdmen  of  Lot’s  cattle And  Lot  lifted  up  his 

eyes,  and  beheld  all  the  plain  of  Jordan,  that  it  was  well 


FLOCKS  AND  HERDS. 


185 


watered  everywhere Then  Lot  chose  him  all  the 

plain  of  Jordan,  ....  and  pitched  his  tent  toward  Sod- 
om  Then  Abram  removed  his  tent,  and  came  and 

dwelt  in  the  plain  of  Mamre.” 

Genesis  xxxii.  7. 

“ And  he  [Jacob]  divided  the  people  that  was  with 
him,  and  the  flocks,  and  herds,  and  the  camels,  into  two 
bands. 

Genesis  xxxvii.  12-17. 

<f  And  his  brethren  went  to  feed  their  fathers  flock  in 
Shechem.  And  Israel  said  unto  Joseph,  Do  not  thy 
brethren  feed  the  flock  in  Shechem  1 . . . . Go,  I pray 
thee,  see  whether  it  be  well  with  thy  brethren,  and  well 

with  the  flocks So  he  sent  him  out  of  the  vale 

of  Hebron,  and  he  came  to  Shechem.  And  a certain 
man  ....  asked  him,  saying,  What  seekest  thou  ? 
And  he  said,  I seek  my  brethren  : tell  me,  I pray  thee, 
where  they  feed  their  flocks.  And  the  man  said,  They 
are  departed  hence  ; for  I heard  them  say,  Let  us  go  to 
Dothan.” 

The  manner  of  life  which  is  here  described  is  still 
followed  in  the  East.  “ This  day,”  writes  a traveller, 
“ we  passed  two  or  three  villages,  and  had  not  advanced 
far,  when  we  beheld  the  plain  before  us  covered  with 
an  immense  multitude  of  Arabs,  with  their  flocks  and 
camels.  They  had  come  from  plains  far  distant  — 
from  the  extensive  tracts  which  extend  toward  Baby- 
lon and  Bagdad,  the  pastures  being  scanty,  or  else  par- 
tially exhausted  this  season.  They  had  journeyed  hither 
with  all  their  flocks  and  herds,  for  the  sake  of  the  supe- 
rior pasturage  the  Syrian  plains  afford.  Their  tents 
were  spread  over  an  immense  space  of  ground  before 
us,  those  of  the  sheikh  being  distinguished  by  their  su- 
perior size.  Groups  of  camels  were  standing  in  some 
parts,  and  groups  of  their  masters  beside  them,  and 
herds  of  cattle,  and  goats,  and  horses  were  dispersed 


186 


FLOCKS  AND  HERDS. 


over  all  the  plain,  mingled  with  parties  of  Arabs,  wTho 
watched  and  attended  them. 

“ We  came  insight  of  an  Arab  camp  pitched  near  a 
rivulet  of  water,  in  the  midst  of  the  plain,  and  flocks  of 
cattle  were  feeding  on  the  rich  pasture.  The  large  tent 
of  the  sheikh  was  conspicuous  in  the  midst,  and  we 
resolved  to  trust  to  their  hospitality.  Having  passed  the 
line  of  tents,  we  stopped  at  the  door  of  the  chief,  and 
alighting  from  our  horses,  entered.  The  Arabs  gave  us 
a kind  and  friendly  reception.  We  sat  down  on  the 
floor,  and  in  about  half  an  hour  a repast  was  brought  of 
boiled  rice,  cakes  of  bread,  and  fresh  butter.  These 
people  are  altogether  a different  race  from  the  Bedouins 
of  the  Desert : they  are  rather  more  civilized  and  peace- 
able, having  settled  with  their  flocks  and  herds  in  one  of 
the  rich  and  wild  plains  of  Syria,  they  decamp  and 
wander  to  another  in  search  of  fresh  pasture.  Their 
encampments  and  journeyings  probably  present  a vivid 
picture  of  those  of  the  patriarchs,  who,  with  their  flocks 
and  herdsmen,  and  camels,  went  on  their  journeys  until 
they  pitched  their  tents  in  a place  that  had  water,  and 
was  rich  in  pasture.” — See  Appendix  to  Carrie's  Letters , 
and  the  Letters , p,  369. 

SHEEP  AND  SHEPHERDS. 

John  x.  3-5. 

“ The  sheep  hear  his  voice,  and  he  calleth  his  own 
sheep  by  name,  and  leadeth  them  out. 

“ And  when  he  putteth  forth  his  own  sheep,  he  goeth 
before  them,  and  the  sheep  follow  him  : for  they  know 
his  voice.  And  a stranger  will  they  not  follow,  but  will 
flee  from  him  ; for  they  know  not  the  voice  of  strangers.” 

The  Rev.  John  Hartley,  who  has  travelled  as  a mis- 
sionary in  Greece,  records  in  his  Journal  the  following 
interesting  illustration  of  our  Savior’s  words  : “ Hav- 
ing had  my  attention  directed  last  night  to  the  words  in 


SHEEf^  and  shepherds.  187 

n n 

John  x.  3,  I asked  my  man  if  it  was  usual  in  Greece  to 
give  names  to  sheep.  He  informed  me  that  it  was,  and 
that  the  sheep  obeyed  the  shepherd  when  he  called  them 
by  their  names.  This  morning  I had  an  opportunity  of 
verifying  the  truth  of  this  remark.  Passing  by  a flock 
of  sheep,  I asked  the  shepherd  the  same  question  which 
I put  to  my  servant,  and  he  gave  me  the  same  answer. 
I then  bade  him  to  call  one  of  his  sheep.  He  did  so  ; 
and  it  instantly  left  its  pasturage  and  its  companions,  and 
ran  up  to  the  hand  of  the  shepherd,  with  signs  of  pleas- 
ure, and  with  a prompt  obedience,  which  I had  never 
before  observed  in  any  other  animal.  The  shepherd 
told  me  that  many  of  his  sheep  are  still  wild  : that  they 
had  not  yet  learned  their  names,  but  that  by  teaching 
they  would  all  learn  them.  The  others,  which  knew 
their  names,  he  called  tame.” 


In  Eastern  countries  the  sheep  are  never  driven,  as 
with  us,  but  led  by  the  shepherd  ; and  it  is  literally  true 


188 


SHEEP  AND  SHEPHERDS. 


of  them,  that  none  but  their  accustomed  leader  will  they 
follow.  “ A stranger  will  they  not  follow  ; for  they 
know  not  the  voice  of  strangers.”  A young  Persian  of 
rank  proved  this.  He  learned  the  names  of  a particular 
flock  of  sheep,  and  then,  putting  on  the  dress  of  their 
shepherd,  went  and  called  them  ; but  not  one  of  them 
would  follow  him,  so  well  could  they  distinguish  between 
his  (the  stranger’s)  voice,  and  that  of  their  own  shep- 
herd.— Rev.  J.  Hartley's  Researches  in  Greece  and  the 
Levant,  pip.  307,  308. 

Jeremiah  xxxiii.  13. 

k<  In  the  cities  of  the  mountains . shall  the 

flocks  pass  again  under  the  hands  of  him  that  telleth 
them.” 

In  Greece,  the  shepherds  count  their  flocks,  by  ad- 
mitting them  one  by  one  into  a pen.  This  is  the  custom 
to  which  Jeremiah  alludes  (xxxiii.  13)  Ibrahim  Pacha 
counted  the  Greeks  who  surrendered  to  him  at  Navarino, 
in  the  same  manner. — Hartley's  Researches , p.  364. 

Matthew  xxv.  32. 

“ He  shall  separate  them  one  from  another,  as  a 
shepherd  divideth  his  sheep  from  the  goats.” 

“ So  entirely  in  these  hot  climates  (viz.,  Burmah, 
Pegu,  &c.),  do  sheep  lose  their  distinctive  features,  that, 
in  seeing  them  mixed  with  goats,  I never  could  tell  them 
apart.  They  are  never  white,  as  with  us,  and  their 
wool  degenerates  into  hair.  May  not  this  illustrate,  ‘ He 
shall  separate  them  one  from  the  other,  as  a shepherd 
divideth  the  sheep  from  the  goats’  ? Though  an  unac- 
customed eye  could  not  discern  the  difference,  the  shep- 
herd knows  each  perfectly. 

“ So,  though  in  this  world  hypocrites  mingle  with 
God’s  people,  and  resemble  them,  the  ‘ Great  Shepherd’ 
instantly  detects  them,  and  at  the  appointed  time  will 


SHEPHERDS. 


189 


unerringly  divide  them.” — Rev . H.  MalcorrHs  Travels  in 
Southeastern  Asia. 


SHEPHERDS. 

1 Corinthians,  ix,  7*. 

“ Who  feedeth  my  flock,  and  eateth  not  of  the  milk 
of  the  flock  ?” 

The  wages  of  the  shepherds  in  the  East  do  not  con- 
sist of  ready  money,  but  in  a part  of  the  milk  of  the 
flocks  which  they  tend.  The  shepherds  in  Modern 
Greece  are  poor  Albanians,  who  feed  the  cattle,  and  live 
in  huts  built  of  rushes  ; they  have  a tenth  part  of  the 
milk  and  of  the  lambs,  which  is  their  whole  wages. 
The  cattle  belong  to  the  Turks. — Weekly  Visiter. 

CHIEF  SHEPHERD. 

1 Peter  v.  2,  4. 

“ Feed  the  flock  of  God  which  is  among  you  ; . . and 
when  the  Chief  Shepherd  shall  appear,  ye  shall  receive 
a crown  of  glory  that  fadeth  not  away.” 

In  Spain,  where  many  Eastern  customs  are  preserved 
from  the  Moors,  they  have,  to  this  day,  over  each  flock 
of  sheep,  a chief  shepherd.  “ Ten  thousand  compose 
a flock,  which  is  divided  into  ten  tribes.  One  man  has 
the  conduct  of  all.  He  must  be  the  owner  of  four  or 
five  hundred  sheep  ; strong,  active,  vigilant,  intelligent 
in  pasture,  in  the  weather,  and  in  the  diseases  of  the 
sheep.  He  has  absolute  dominion  over  fifty  shepherds 
and  fifty  dogs,  five  of  each  to  a tribe.  He  chooses  them, 
he  chastises  them,  or  discharges  them  at  will.  He  is 
the  preepositas , or  chief  shepherd  of  the  whole  flock.” 

How  beautiful,  after  reading  this,  appears  the  title 
given  by  the  x\postle  to  Jesus  Christ — the  Chief  Shep- 
herd of  the  Church  of  God.  He  is  the  owner  of  many 
sheep,  whom  he  has  purchased  with  his  own  blood — he 


190 


CHIEF  SHEPHERD. 


has  all  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth — his  activity  never 
wearies — his  watchful  eye  never  slumbers  nor  sleeps — 
the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  understanding  rests  upon  him 
without  measure — and  he  is  the  Great  Physician,  who 
alone  can  heal.  He  is  the  Head  over  all  things  to  his 
church,  and  it  is  he  who  alone  chooses,  guides,  and  di- 
rects those  his  under-shepherds,  to  whom  he  has  given 
it  in  charge  to  feed  his  flock  until  such  time  as  he  shall 
return  to  gather  them  into  one  fold,  under  one  shepherd 
— even  himself. — See  Burdens  Oriental  Customs . 

SHEEP-FOLDS. 

John  x.  1. 

“ He  that  entereth  not  by  the  door  into  the  sheep-fold, 
but  climbeth  up  some  other  way,  the  same  is  a thief  and 
a robber.” 

In  Persia  the  shepherds  frequently  drive  their  flocks 
into  caverns  at  night,  and  enclose  them  by  heaping  up 
walls  of  loose  stones  ; but  the  more  common  sheep-fold 
was  an  enclosure  in  the  manner  of  a building,  and  con- 
structed of  stone  and  hurdles,  or  fenced  with  reeds.  It 
had  a large  door,  or  entrance,  for  admitting  the  flock, 
which  was  closed  with  hurdles  ; and  this  entrance  is 
still  used  in  the  East. 


191 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


Wells — Fountains,  and  drawing  Water — Pools  of  Solomon — 
Mountainous  Pastures — Pastures — Pits — Deserts — Mirage. 


WELLS. 

Psalm  lxxxiv.  5-7. 

“ Blessed  is  the  man  whose  strength  is  in  thee  ; in 
whose  heart  are  the  ways  of  them.  Who  passing  through 
the  valley  of  Baca  make  it  a well ; the  rain  also  jilleth  the 
pools . 

“ They  go  from  strength  to  strength , every  one  of 
them  in  Zion  appeareth  before  God.” 

In  consequence  of  the  distress  which  is  felt  by  trav- 
ellers in  the  East  for  want  of  water,  wells  are  frequently 
made  expressly  for  them  ; and  more  especially  for  those 
who  travel  for  devotional  purposes. 

Thus  the  Mahometans  have  dug  wells  in  the  deserts 
for  those  who  travel  to  Mecca,  their  sacred  city,  to  stop 
at,  and  drink  ; the  scarcity  of  water  being  sometimes  so 
great  during  the  pilgrimage,  that  a small  skin  of  water 
is  sold  for  one  shilling , a large  price  among  the  Arabs. 
These  wells  are  often  made  at  regular  distances,  so  as 
to  form  stations,  and  they  are  repeatedly  mentioned  by 
a great  Eastern  traveller.  The  following  are  some  of 
the  passages  in  his  work  which  relate  to  them  : — 

“ After  three  hours’  march  we  entered  a hilly  coun- 
try, where  a coffee-hut  stands  near  a well.  We  con- 
tinued in  a broad  and  winding  valley  among  these  hills, 
some  sandy,  and  some  rocky,  and  at  the  end  of  five  and  a 
half  hours,  stopped  for  a short  time  at  the  well  called — — . 

“We  passed  a large  tank , built  of  stones,  which  in 


192 


WEXLS. 


the  time  of  the  pilgrimage  is  filled  with  water  from  the 
canal.  An  historian  says,  there  were  formerly  sixteen 
wells  between  the  city  of  Muna  and  Mecca. 

“ We  entered  upon  sandy  ground  in  a valley , where 
are  some  wells. 

“ We  passed  a cluster  of  huts,  with  wells  of  very 
good  water.  It  being  a cloudy  and  dark  night,  we  lost 
our  way  in  following  the  windings  of  a valley , and  being 
unable  to  regain  the  right  road,  we  lay  down  on  the 
sand,  and  slept  till  day-break.”  The  same  writer, 
speaking  of  the  road  pursued  by  the  pilgrims  from  Syria, 
says,  “ At  every  watering-place  are  a small  castle  and 
a large  tank  at  which  the  camels  water.  Water  is 
plentiful  on  the  route  ; the  stations  are  nowhere  more 
distant  than  eleven  or  twelve  hours’  march ; and;  in 
winter,  pools  of  rain  water  are  frequently  found.”  In 
another  place  he  writes,  “We  passed  a ruined  building 
where  a well , now  filled  up,  formerly  supplied  the  pas- 
sengers with  water.  The  plain  is  here  overgrown  with 
some  trees  and  thick  shrubs.  We  continued  to  cross  it 
till  six  hours,  where  it  closes,  and  the  road  begins  to 
ascend  slightly  through  a broad  woody  valley.  Here  is 
situated  a large  deep  well , lined  with  stone,  with  a spring 
of  good  water  in  the  bottom.  This  is  a station  of  the 
pilgrimage. 

“ Here  are  many  tanks,  cased  with  stone,  constructed 
to  supply  the  pilgrims  with  water.” 

These  extracts  may  also  serve  as  comments  upon 
David’s  words  in  the  eighty-fourth  Psalm.  The  valley 
of  Baca  is  very  likely  the  same  with  that  of  Rephaim 
(see  2 Sam.  v.  22-24),  in  which  were  large  shrubs, 
rendered,  in  our  translation,  mulberry-trees,  but  which 
the  Arabs  still  call  Baca.  This  valley,  lying  west  of 
Jerusalem,  the  pious  Israelites,  journeying  thither,  had 
to  pass.  Here,  therefore,  they  had  made  them  wells , to 
facilitate  their  progress.  God  also  sent  them  rain  from 
heaven,  which  filled  the  pools , and  thus  they  were 
enabled  to  go  on  from  strength  to  strength ■,  from  one 


WELLS. 


193 


place  of  refreshment  to  another,  till  before  the  God  of 
gods  they  every  one  of  them  appeared  in  Zion.— See 
Earmer's  Observations,  vol.  ii„  pp.  181,  182  ; Burch- 
kardt's  Travels . 


Genesis  xxvi.  15. 

“ For  all  the  wells  which  his  father’s  servants  had 
digged  in  the  days  of  Abraham  his  father,  the  Philis- 
tines had  stopped  them,  and  filled  them  with  earth.” 

17 


WELLS. 


j 94 

In  those  countries,  a well  of  water  was  so  great  an 
acquisition,  that  there  could  be  no  surer  way  than  that 
taken  by  the  Philistines  of  injuring  new  settlers,  or 
revenging  themselves  on  their  enemies.  In  the  tenth 
century,  this  act  of  hostility  was  actually  practised 
against  the  pilgrims  to  Mecca  ; all  the  pits  which  had 
been  dug  for  their  benefit  being  filled  up  with  sand  by 
one  of  their  enemies. — Mariner's  Observations , vol.  iii., 
p.  431. 

Genesis  xxix.  2,  3. 

“ And  he  looked,  and  behold  a well  in  the  field  .... 
and  a great  stone  was  upon  the  well’s  mouth.  And 
thither  were  all  the  flocks  gathered  : and  they  rolled  the 
stone  from  the  well’s  mouth,  and  watered  the  sheep,  and 
put  the  stone  again  upon  the  well’s  mouth  in  his  place.” 

Canticles  iv.  12. 

“ A spring  shut  up,  a fountain  sealed.” — (See  the  ar- 
ticle on  the  “ Pools  of  Solomon,”  pp.  198-200.) 

In  Arabia,  and  other  places,  it  is  usual,  Sir  J.  Char- 
din informs  us,  to  close  and  cover  up  the  wells  of  water, 
lest  the  sand,  which  is  put  into  motion  by  the  winds 
there,  like  the  water  of  a pond,  should  fill  them,  and 
quite  stop  them  up.  Wells  and  cisterns  are  also  some- 
times locked  up  ; and  some  person  is  so  far  the  propri- 
etor, that  no  one  dares  to  open  the  well  but  in  his  pres- 
ence. Probably,  therefore,  Rachel  was  mistress  of  the 
well  to  which  Jacob  came,  since  it  was  opened  when 
she  appeared.  (Verse  8-10.) — Harmer’s  Observations , 
vol.  i.,  pp.  263-265. 

WELLS,  AND  DRAWING  OF  WATER.- 
John  iv.  10,  11. 

“ Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  her,  If  thou  knewest 
the  gift  of  God,  and  who  it  is  that  saith  to  thee,  Give 


WELLS,  AND  DRAWING  OF  WATER.  195 

me  to  drink,  thou  wouldest  have  asked  of  him,  and  he 
would  have  given  thee  living  water.  The  woman  saith 
unto  him,  Sir,  thou  hast  nothing  to  draw  with , and  the 
well  is  deep : from  whence,  then,  hast  thou  that  living 
water  ?” 

There  are  many  wells  and  cisterns  in  Judea  ; the  first 
of  which  are  supplied  with  water  by  springs,  the  latter 
by  rain.  It  is  probable  that  the  place  to  which  the  wo- 
man of  Samaria  repaired,  was  a reservoir  of  rain-water ; 
since  our  Lord  seems  to  oppose  its  waters  to  living  wa- 
ter, which  he  would  give  her.  The  Eastern  wells  have 
oftentimes  no  implements  for  drawing  of  water,  but  what 
those  bring  with  them  that  come  thither ; so  that  travel- 
lers in  those  dry  countries  are  often  obliged  to  carry 
lines  and  buckets  on  their  journeys,  and  great  leather  bot- 
tles to  refill  from  time  to  time.  A traveller  from  Egypt 
to  Jerusalem,  says  he  did  not  forget  “ leather  buckets  to 
draw  water  withy  And  another  speaks  of  the  well  at 
Bethlehem,  as  “ a good  rich  cistern,  deep  and  wide  ; 
for  which  reason  “ the  people  that  go  to  dip  water  are 
provided  with  small  leather  buckets  and  a line and 
these  are  also  carried  by  the  merchants  that  go  through 
great  deserts  into  far  countries. 

“ Coming  to  a well,”  writes  Mr.  Hartley,  “ without 
possessing  the  means  of  obtaining  water,  we  were  forci- 
bly reminded  of  our  Lord’s  situation  near  Sychar — ‘ Sir, 
thou  hast  nothing  to  draw  with,  and  the  well  is  deep.’  ” 
— Hartley's  Researches , p.  281. 

Therefore,  when  the  woman  of  Samaria  heard  Jesus 
speak  of  giving  living  water , and  seeing  him  without 
anything  to  draw  with,  though  the  well  was  deep , she 
asked  with  astonishment,  “ From  whence,  then,  hast 
thou  that  living  water  ?”  for  she  understood  not  that  he 
spake  of  the  Spirit,  which  they  that  believed  on  him 
should  receive. — See  Harmer's  Observations , vol.  ii.,  pp. 
180,  181,  182,  note. 


196  WELLS,  AND  DRAWING  OF  WATER. 

Genesis  xxiv.  16-20. 

“ And  she  [Rebecca]  went  down  to  the  well,  and  filled 
her  pitcher,  and  came  up.  And  the  servant  ran  to  meet 
her,  and  said,  Let  me,  I pray  thee,  drink  a little  water 
of  thy  pitcher.  And  she  said,  Drink,  my  lord  : and  she 
hasted,  and  let  down  her  pitcher  upon  her  hand,  and 

gave  him  drink And  she  said,  I will  draw  water 

for  thy  camels  also,  until  they  have  done  drinking ; and 
she  hasted,  and  emptied  her  pitcher  into  the  trough , and 
ran  again  unto  the  well  to  draw  water,  and  drew  for  all 
his  camels” 

Reservoirs  of  rain-water  in  the  Indies,  have  often  a 
flight  of  steps  down  to  the  water  ; that  as  the  water 
diminishes,  people  may  still  take  it  up  with  their  hands. 
The  reservoirs  of  some  Syrian  fountains  are  also  fur- 
nished in  the  same  manner.  This  explains  Rebecca’s 
going  down  to  the  well.  We  have  already  seen  that 
many  of  the  Eastern  wells  have  no  conveniences  to 
draw  water  with,  but  others  are  supplied  with  troughs , 
and  other  contrivances  for  watering  cattle.  The  fol- 
lowing story  is  quite  a comment  upon  the  history  of 
Rebecca’s  courtesy  to  her  stranger  guest.  It  is  related 
by  an  Eastern  traveller  : — 

About  five  in  the  evening,  the  latter  end  of  December, 
upon  entering  u the  town  of  Nazareth,”  this  gentleman 
informs  us,  “ we  saw  two  women  filling  their  pitchers 
with  water,  at  a fountain,  and  about  twelve  others  wait- 
ing for  the  same  purpose,  wdiom  we  desired  to  pour  some 
water  into  a trough  which  stood  hard  by,  that  our  horses 
might  drink.  We  had  scarcely  made  the  request,  before 
they  instantly  complied,  and  filled  the  trough  ; and  the 
others  waited  with  the  greatest  patience.”  Upon  return- 
ing them  thanks,  one  of  them,  with  very  great  modesty, 
replied,  “ We  consider  kindness  and  hospitality  to  stran- 
gers as  an  essential  part  of  our  duty.” — See  Harmer's 
Observations , vol.  ii.,  p.  182,  note  ; 190,  191  ; 257, 
note. 


WELLS,  AND  DRAWING  OF  WATER.  ] 97 

At  the  well  of  Cana,  one  of  the  women  who  had  come 
there  to  draw  water,  “ lowered  her  pitcher  into  the  well, 
and  offered  me  water  to  drink,” — Rae  Wilson's  Travehs 
vol.  ii.,  p,  4. 


FOUNTAINS. 

Judges  xv,  17-19. 

u And  ....  he  cast  away  the  jaw-bone  out  of  his 
hand,  and  called  that  place  Ramath-lehi  [Marg.,  the 
casting  away  of  the  jaw-bone].  And  he  was  sore 
athirst,  and  called  on  the  Lord,  and  said,  Thou  hast 
given  this  great  deliverance  into  the  hand  of  thy  ser- 
vant : and  now  shall  I die  for  thirst,  and  fall  into  the 
hand  of  the  uncircumcised  ? But  God  clave  a hollow 
place  that  was  in  the  jaw  \i.  e .,  in  Lehi],  and  there  came 
water  thereout ; and  when  he  had  drunk,  his  spirit  came 
again,  and  he  revived  : wherefore  he  called  the  name 
17* 


198 


FOUNTAINS. 


thereof  En-hakkore  [i.  e.7  the  well  of  him  that  cried]* 
which  is  in  Lehi  unto  this  day.” 

Samson  having  slain  the  Philistines  with  the  jaw-bone 
of  an  ass,  the  place  where  the  exploit  was  performed 
was  called  Lehi  (or  the  jaw-bone),  in  remembrance  of 
it ; and  in  this  same  place  God  clave  the  earth,  or  rock, 
in  the  end  of  a hollow  place,  or  grotto,  whence  flowed 
a stream  to  slake  the  warrior’s  thirst.  The  traveller 
Doubdan,  in  one  day,  met  with  two  such  places  as  are 
here  described. 

On  Easter  Monday,  April  1,  1652,  he  set  out  with 
about  twenty  others,  to  visit  the  neighborhood  of  Jeru- 
salem. They  went  the  same  road  the  two  disciples  are 
supposed  to  have  taken.  (Luke  xxiv.)  In  the  place 
where  our  Lord  is  imagined  to  have  met  them,  a con- 
vent was  afterward  built,  of  which  only  some  pieces  of 
the  walls,  vaults,  and  arches  remain,  with  a great  cistern 
full  of  water,  derived  partly  from  rain,  but  more  partic- 
ularly from  a most  beautiful  and  transparent  fountain , a 
little  above  it,  which  breaks  out  in  the  further  end  of  the 
grotto , naturally  hollowed  out  in  the  hard  rock , and  which 
is  overhung  with  small  trees.  The  water  of  this  spring 
running  by  a channel  into  the  cistern,  afterward  turned 
a mill  that  was  just  by  it,  and  thence  flowed  into  the 
torrent-bed  of  the  valley,  whence  David  collected  his 
five  smooth  stones.  The  same  day  they  came  to  an- 
other fountain,  hollowed  out  in  the  heart  of  a mighty 
rock,  shaded  over  by  trees,  where  they  stayed  and  dined, 
sitting  on  the  grass  in  the  shade.  (Doubdan’ s Voyage 
de  la  Terre  Sainte.) — See  Harmer’s  Observations , vol.  iv.> 
pp.  272-275. 


THE  POOLS  OF  SOLOMON. 
Ecclesiastes  ii.  4-6. 

“ I made  me  great  works  ; I made  me  gar- 
dens and  orchards, [and]  pools  of  water.” 


THE  POOLS  OF  SOLOMON. 


199 


Canticles  iv.  12. 

“ A garden  enclosed  is  my  sister,  my  spouse  ; a spring 
shut  up,  a fountain  sealed.” 

The  celebrated  reservoirs,  known  to  modern  travellers 
under  the  name  of  the  Pools  of  Solomon,  are  situated 
between  Hebron  and  Bethlehem,  in  a most  secluded  spot 
upon  a sloping  hill,  in  the  midst  of  mountains.  They 
have  been  thus  recently  described : “ These  large, 

strong,  noble  structures,  in  a land  where  every  work  of 
art  has  been  hurried  to  destruction,  remain  now  almost 
as  perfect  as  when  they  were  built.  There  are  three 
of  them  about  four  hundred  and  eighty,  six  hundred,  and 
six  hundred  and  sixty  feet  in  length,  and  two  hundred 
and  eighty  in  breadth,  and  of  different  altitudes  ; the 
water  from  the  first  running  into  the  second,  and  from  the 
second  into  the  third  ; at  about  a hundred  yards’  distance 
is  the  spring  which  supplies  the  reservoirs  — as  the 
monks  say,  the  sealed  fountain  referred  to  in  Canticles 
iv.  12.  The  water  from  these  reservoirs  is  conveyed  to 
Jerusalem  by  a small  aqueduct  — a round  earthen  pipe, 
about  ten  inches  in  diameter,  which  follows  all  the  sin- 
uosities of  the  ground,  being  sometimes  above  the  surface 
and  sometimes  under.  There  is  every  reason  to  believe 
that  these  pools  have  existed  from  the  date  assigned  to 
them  ; and  that  this  was  the  site  of  one  of  King  Solo- 
mon’s houses  of  pleasure,  where  he  made  himself  4 gar- 
dens, and  orchards,  and  pools  of  water.’  As  I walked 
along  the  bank,  or  stood  on  the  margin,  it  seemed  almost 
the  wild  suggestion  of  a dream  to  imagine  that  the  wisest 
of  men  had  looked  into  the  same  pool,  had  strolled  along 
the  same  bank,  and  stood  on  the  very  same  steps.  It 
was  like  annihilating  all  the  intervals  of  time  and  space. 
Solomon  and  all  his  glory  are  departed  ; and  little  could 
even  his  wisdom  have  foreseen  that,  long  after  he  should 
be  laid  in  the  dust,  and  his  kingdom  passed  into  the 
hands  of  strangers,  a traveller  from  a land*  he  never 

♦America.. 


200 


THE  POOLS  OF  SOLOMON. 


dreamed  of,  would  be  looking  upon  his  works,  and  mur- 
muring to  himself  the  words  of  the  Preacher,  ‘ "V  anity 
of  vanities,  all  is  vanity.’  ” — Incidents  of  Travel,  vol.  ii., 
pp.  167,  168 

“ These  fountains  are  three  in  number,  of  a quad- 
rangular form,  cut  out  of  the  native  rock  in  a manner 
altogether  most  astonishing  : one  being  raised  above 
the  other,  as  it  were  a flight  of  steps,  and  so  disposed 
that  the  water  in  the  uppermost  flows  into  the  second, 
and  from  that  into  the  third.  The  spring  from  which 
they  are  supplied  is  at  a short  distance,  and  from  its 
being  shut  up  or  secured,  is  considered  to  be  that  alluded 
to  in  Cant.  iv.  12.* 

“ Although  the  circumstances  of  these  fountains  being 
secured,  does  not,  in  itself,  appear  very  particular,  yet 
it  may  be  considered  illustrative  of  the  meaning  of  the 
purity  of  a fountain  sealed  or  shut  in,  which  is  a com- 
mon practice  in  this  country,  to  keep  them  free  from 
pollution.  (See  p.  194.) 

“ The  place  is  still  secured  by  a door,  and  it  is  so  con- 
trived that  the  water  flows  under  it  by  a small  subterra- 
neous canal  on  the  way  to  Bethlehem  and  Jerusalem. 

“ Below  these  cisterns,  and  above  half  a mile,  is  a deep 
valley,  enclosed  on  each  side  by  lofty  mountains,  repre- 
sented to  be  the  situation  where  the  pleasure  gardens  of 
the  monarch  were  laid  out,  watered  by  rills,  which  at 
times  descend  from  their  heights,  stored  with  a variety 
of  plants  ; and  cultivated,  as  he  says,  with  fruits  of  all 
kinds.  This  might  be  supposed,  from  a person  of  his 
curiosity  and  knowledge  of  natural  history,  an  example 
followed  by  the  kings  of  Israel  and  Judah.  At  the 
same  time,  on  viewing  the  local  situation  of  these  pools 
and  gardens,  it  struck  me  as  abundantly  evident,  that 

♦This  seems  the  more  probable,  from  the  idea  of  the  fountain 
being  associated  with  that  of  a garden,  in  this  passage  (cc  a garden 
enclosed  is  my  sister,  my  spouse,  a spring  shut  up,  a fountain 
sealed”),  for  it  will  appear  from  the  sequel,  that  the  Pools  of 
Solomon  were  constructed  for  the  supply  of  his  gardens. 


THE  POOLS  OF  SOLOMON. 


201 


the  former  had  been  made  for  the  express  purpose  of 
watering  the  latter,  without  which  they  would  have  been 
deprived  of  their  proper  nourishment  to  promote  vege- 
tation. Indeed,  in  this  warm  region,  a bountiful  supply 
of  water  was  indispensable.  This  leads  to  an  observa- 
tion that  we  are  told  in  the  Sacred  Writings,  a river 
supplied  water  for  the  garden  of  Eden.  (Gen.  ii.  10.) 
The  church  is  also  represented  as  the  paradise  of  Christ, 
whose  spirit  is  a spring  in  it  to  refresh  the  souls  of 
believers.” — Rae  Wilson1  s Travels , vol.  i.,  pp.  267- 
269. 

It  seems  highly  probable,  from  the  whole  passage  in 
Canticles  iv.  12-16,  that  Solomon,  while  contemplating 
the  loveliness  of  the  gardens  before  him,  and  the  purity 
of  the  fountains  which  supplied  them,  employed  these 
external  objects  as  emblems  of  the  beauty,  fruitfulness, 
and  purity  of  the  church  of  Christ. 

MOUNTAINOUS  PASTURES. 

Isaiah  xlix.  9-11. 

“ Their  pastures  shall  be  in  all  high  places.  They 
shall  not  hunger  nor  thirst ; neither  shall  the  heat  nor 
sun  smite  them  : for  he  that  hath  mercy  on  them  shall 
lead  them,  even  by  the  springs  of  water  shall  he  guide 
them.” 

A fine  region  which  comprehends  good  pasturage 
and  plenty  of  water,  is  held  in  great  estimation  by  the 
Persian  shepherds : and  they  carry  their  flocks  to  the 
highest  parts  of  the  mountains,  where  these  blessings 
may  be  found  in  abundance.  This  perhaps,  will  give 
fresh  force  to  the  promises  made  by  the  prophet  Isaiah, 
(xlix.) — Morier . 

PITS. 

Proverbs  xxii.  14. 

“ The  mouth  of  strange  women  is  a deep  pit ; he  that 
is  abhorred  of  the  lord  shall  fall  therein.” 


202 


PITS. 


Proverbs  xxiii.  27. 

u A whore  is  a deep  ditch  ; and  a strange  woman  is 
a narrow  pit.” 

There  are  some  dangerous  passes  in  the  East,  though 
generally  the  country  is  open.  A traveller  thus  describes 
one  of  them  : “ Sometimes  the  road  led  us  under  the 

shade  of  thick  trees  ; sometimes  through  narrow  valleys, 
watered  with  fresh  murmuring  torrents  ; and  then  for  a 
good  while  together  upon  a brink  of  a precipice.  And 
in  all  places  it  treated  us  with  the  prospect  of  plants 
and  flowers.  Having  spent  about  two  hours  in  this  man- 
ner, we  descended  into  a low  valley  ; at  the  bottom  of 
which  is  a fissure  into  the  earth,  of  a great  depth , but 
withal  so  narrow , that  it  is  not  discernible  to  the  eye  till 
you  arrive  just  upon  it,  though  to  the  ear  notice  is  given 
of  it  at  a great  distance,  by  reason  of  the  noise  of  a 
stream  running  down  into  it  from  the  hills.  We  could 
not  guess  it  to  be  less  than  thirty  yards  deep.  But  it  is 
so  narrow , that  a small  arch,  not  four  yards  over,  lands 
you  on  its  other  side.”  May  not  Solomon  refer  to  such 
a place  as  this  ? The  flowery  pleasures  which  abound- 
ed where  this  fatal  pit  was,  makes  the  allusion  still 
more  striking.  How  agreeable  to  sense  the  path  that 
led  to  the  chamber  of  death  ! — Harmer's  Observations , 
vol.  ii.,  pp.  220,  221. 

DESERTS. 

Isaiah  xli.  18,  19. 

“ ....  I will  make  the  wilderness  a pool  of  water, 
and  the  dry  land  springs  of  water.  I will  plant  in  the 
wilderness  the  cedar,  the  shittah-tree,  and  the  myrtle, 
and  the  oil  tree  ; I will  set  in  the  desert  the  fir-tree,  and 
the  pine,  and  the  box-tree  together.” 

Isaiah  xliv.  3,  4. 

“ I will  pour  water  upon  him  that  is  thirsty,  and  floods 
upon  the  dry  ground  : I will  pour  my  spirit  upon  thy 


DESERTS. 


203 


seed,  and  my  blessing  upon  thine  offspring  : and  they 
shall  spring  up  as  among  the  grass,  as  willows  by  the 
water-courses.” 

Isaiah  xxxv.  7. 

“ And  the  parched  ground  shall  become  a pool,  and 
the  thirsty  land  springs  of  water  : in  the  habitation  of 
dragons,  where  each  lay,  shall  be  grass  with  reeds  and 
rushes.”  See  also  xlix.  10. 

Revelation  vii.  17. 

“ The  Lamb  ....  shall  lead  them  unto  living  fount- 
ains of  waters.”  See  also  Psalm  xxiii.  2. 

Isaiah  xxxii.  2. 

“ And  a man  shall  be  . , . . as  rivers  of  water  in  a 
dry  place,  as  the  shadow  of  a great  rock  in  a weary  land.” 

Those  only  who  are  acquainted  with  the  peculiarities 
of  Eastern  scenery,  who  have  passed  through  sandy 
deserts  exposed  to  burning  suns,  parched  with  thirst, 
yet  unable  to  obtain  a drop  of  water  to  assuage  it, 
wearied  with  the  constant  glare  upon  the  barren  sands, 
yet  looking  in  vain  for  some  green  spot  on  which  to  rest 
the  eye,  or  for  some  friendly  tree,  or  overhanging  rock 
beneath  which  they  might  find  temporary  shelter  and 
relief, — those  only  who  have  experienced  all  this,  can 
fully  estimate  the  force  and  beauty  of  the  many  passages 
in  Scripture  where  the  metaphors  of  water  and  shade 
are  employed. 

w A man  who  has  never  toiled  through  burning  deserts 
can  have  little  idea  of  the  rapture  with  which  a group 
of  trees,  or  a bright  spot  of  verdure  is  beheld  ; or  of 
the  deep  luxury  of  feeling,  excited  by  again  moving 
among  cottages,  and  fountains,  and  cool  retreats.” 

“ Returning  from  the  pyramids  of  Saccara,”  writes  a 
traveller,  “ over  a path  of  soft  sand,  we  were  parched 
with  thirst,  and  would  have  given  anything  for  a draught 
of  water,  when*  unexpectedly,  as  if  dropped  from  the 
clouds,  a man  approached  us  bearing  an  immense  water- 


204 


DESERTS. 


melon,  which  we  received  as  manna  from  heaven.  He 
had  his  lonely  dwelling  and  little  garden  at  some  dis- 
tance, and  had  purposely  crossed  our  way  with  this 
melon,  knowing  he  should  be  well  paid  for  it.” 

The  same  gentleman  going  toward  Jericho,  says  : 
“We  entered  on  a tract  of  soft  sand  ; ascending  a sand- 
hill that  overlooked  the  plain,  we  saw  Jericho,  contrary 
to  our  hopes,  at  a great  distance,  and  the  level  tract  we 
must  pass  to  arrive  at  it,  was  exposed  to  a sultry  sun, 
without  a single  tree  to  afford  us  a temporary  shade. 
The  simile  of  the  shadow  of  a great  rock  in  a weary 
land,  was  never  more  strongly  felt.”  In  another  pas- 
sage he  writes  (he  was  then  in  Egypt) : “ Fatigued 
with  heat  and  thirst,  we  came  to  a few  cottages  in  a 
palm-wood,  and  stopped  to  drink  of  a fountain  of  deli- 
cious water.  In  a northern  climate,  no  idea  can  be 
formed  of  the  exquisite  luxury  of  drinking  in  Egypt. 
Little  appetite  for  food  is  felt ; but  when,  after  crossing 
the  burning  sands,  you  reach  the  rich  line  of  woods  on 
the  brink  of  the  Nile,  and  pluck  the  fresh  limes,  and 
mingle  their  juice  with  the  soft  river  water, — one  then 
perceives  the  beauty  and  force  of  those  similes  in  Scrip- 
ture, where  the  sweetest  emotions  of  the  heart  are  com- 
pared to  the  assuaging  of  thirst  in  a sultry  land.” — See 
Game’s  Eastern  Letters , pp.  143,  162,  197. 

Isaiah  xxix.  8. 

“ It  shall  even  be  as  when  a hungry  man  dreameth, 
and,  behold,  he  eateth  ; but  he  awaketh,  and  his  soul  is 
empty  ; or  as  when  a thirsty  man  dreameth,  and,  behold, 
he  drinketh  ; but  he  awaketh,  and,  behold,  he  is  faint, 
and  his  soul  hath  appetite  : so  shall  the  multitude  of  all 
the  nations  be,  that  fight  against  Mount  Zion.” 

Psalm  cvii.  4,  5. 

“ They  wandered  in  the  wilderness  in  a solitary  way  ; 
they  found  no  city  to  dwell  in.  Hungry  and  thirsty, 
their  soul  fainted  in  them.” 


DESERTS. 


205 


Baumgarten  thus  describes  the  distress  felt  by  him- 
self and  his  companions  from  want  of  food  and  water, 
while  in  the  deserts.  He  writes  : “ Travelling  all  that 
day  and  night,  without  eating,  resting,  or  sleeping,  we 
could  not  avoid  falling  off  our  camels,  while  we  were 
half-sleeping,  half-waking.  A thousand  strange  dreams 
and  fancies  came  into  our  heads,  while  hungry  and 
thirsty,  and  we  sat  nodding  on  our  camels.  We  thought 
we  saw  somebody  reaching  us  victuals  and  drink,  and 
putting  out  our  hands  to  take  it,  and  stretching  ourselves 
to  overtake  it  when  it  seemed  to  draw  back,  we  tumbled 
off  our  camels,  and  by  a severe  fall  found  it  a dream  and 
illusion.” — See  note  8,  in  Lord  Lindsay's  Letters , vol.  i. 

Deuteronomy  viii.  15. 

“ Who  led  thee  through  that  great  and  terrible  wil- 
derness, wherein  were  fiery  serpents,  and  scorpions,* 
and  drought , where  there  was  no  water ; who  brought 
thee  forth  water  out  of  the  rock  of  flint” 

Speaking  in  general  of  a desert,  there  are  few  springs 
of  water,  some  of  them  at  the  distance  of  four,  six,  and 
eight  days’ journey  from  one  another,  and  not  all  of  sweet 
water  ; on  the  contrary,  it  is  generally  salt  or  bitter,  so 
that  if  the  thirsty  traveller  drinks  of  it,  it  increases  his 
thirst,  and  he  suffers  more  than  before  ; but  when  the 
dreadful  calamity  happens  that  the  next  well,  which  is  so 
anxiously  sought  for,  is  found  dry,  the  misery  of  such  a 
situation  cannot  well  be  described.  The  camels,  which 
afford  the  only  means  of  escape,  are  so  thirsty  that  they 
cannot  proceed  to  another  well ; and  if  the  travellers  kill 
them  to  extract  the  little  liquid  which  remains  in  their 
stomachs,  they  themselves  cannot  advance  any  farther. 
The  situation  must  be  dreadful.  ....  Many  perish  vic- 
tims of  the  most  horrible  thirst.  It  is  then  that  the  value 

of  a cup  of  water  is  really  felt If  the  master  has 

none,  the  servant  will  not  give  it  to  him,  for  very  few 

* See  pages  224-226. 

18 


236 


DESERTS. 


are  the  instances  where  a man  will  voluntarily  lose  his 
life  to  save  that  of  another,  particularly  in  a caravan  in 
the  desert,  where  people  are  strangers  to  each  other. 
What  a situation  for  a man,  though  a rich  one,  perhaps 
the  owner  of  all  the  caravans  ! He  is  dying  for  a cup 
of  water — no  one  gives  it  to  him — he  offers  all  he  pos- 
sesses— no  one  hears  him — they  are  all  dying — though 
by  walking  a few  hours  farther  they  might  be  saved  ; 
the  camels  are  lying  down,  and  cannot  be  made  to  rise  ; 
no  one  has  strength  to  walk,  only  he  that  has  a glass  of 
that  precious  liquid,  lives  to  walk  a mile  farther,  and 
perhaps  dies  too To  be  thirsty  in  a desert  with- 

out water,  exposed  to  the  burning  sun,  without  shelter, 
and  no  hopes  of  finding  either,  is  the  most  terrible  situa- 
tion that  a man  can  be  placed  in ; and  I believe,  one 
of  the  greatest  sufferings  that  a human  being  can  en- 
dure ; — the  eyes  grow  inflamed,  the  lips  and  tongue 
swell,  a hollow  sound  is  heard  in  the  ears,  which  brings 
on  deafness  ; and  the  brains  appear  to  grow  thick  and  in- 
flamed,— all  these  feelings  arise  from  the  want  of  a little 
water.*  In  the  midst  of  all  this  misery,  the  deceitful 
mirages  appear  before  the  traveller  at  no  great  distance, 

something  like  a lake  or  river  of  clear  fresh  water 

If  a traveller  is  not  undeceived,  he  hastens  his  pace  to 
reach  it  sooner  ; the  more  he  advances  toward  it,  the 
more  it  goes  from  him,  till  at  last  it  vanishes  entirely, 
and  the  deluded  passenger  often  asks  where  is  the  water 
he  saw  at  no  great  distance  ; he  can  scarcely  believe 
that  he  was  so  deceived — he  protests  that  he  saw  the 
waves  running  before  the  wind,  and  the  reflection  of  the 
high  rocks  in  the  water.  If  any  one  falls  sick  on  the 
road,  there  is  no  alternative,  he  must  endure  the  fatigue 
of  travelling  on  a camel,  which  is  troublesome  even  to 
healthy  people,  or  he  must  be  left  behind  on  the  sand, 
without  any  assistance,  and  remain  so  till  he  dies.  No 
one  remains  with  him — not  even  his  old  and  faithful 
servant — no  one  will  stay  and  die  with  him  ; all  pity  his 
* Pages  208,  209, 


DESERTS. 


207 


fate,  but  no  one  will  be  his  companion.  Why  not  stop 
the  whole  caravan  till  he  is  better,  or  do  what  they  can 
for  the  best  till  he  dies  ? No,  this  delay  cannot  be  ; it 
would  put  all  in  danger  of  perishing  of  thirst  if  they  do 
not  reach  the  next  well  in  such  a time  ; besides,  they  all 
are  different  parties  generally  of  merchants  or  travellers, 
who  will  not  even  wait  a few  hours  to  save  the  life  of  an 
individual,  whether  they  know  him  or  not. — Belzonls 
Travels , p.  341-343. 

Jeremiah  ii.  6. 

“ Neither  said  they,  Where  is  the  Lord  that  brought 
us  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  that  led  us  through  the 
wilderness,  through  a land  of  deserts  and  of  pits, 
through  a land  of  drought,  and  of  the  shadow  of  death, 
through  a land  that  no  man  passed  through,  and  where 
no  man  dwelt  ?” 

A traveller  in  the  wilderness  writes  in  one  place  : 
“ The  path  winded  around  the  side  of  the  mountain,  and 
to  our  left,  a horrid  chasm , some  hundred  fathoms  deep, 
presented  itself  to  our  view.  It  is  surprising  no  accident 
befell  the  loaded  camels.”  Again  he  says  : “ On  each 
side  of  us  were  perpendicular  steeps  some  hundred 
fathoms  deep.  On  every  part  is  a wild  confusion  of 
hanging  precipices,  disjointed  rocks,  and  hideous  chasms. 
Omnipotent  Father  ! to  thee  we  trust  for  our  deliver- 
ance from  the  perils  that  surround  us.  It  was  through 
this  wilderness  thou  didst  lead  thy  chosen  people.  It 
was  here  thou  didst  manifest  thy  signal  protection,  in 
snatching  them  from  the  jaws  of  destruction  which 
opened  upon  every  side.”  In  the  next  page,  the  same 
writer  continues:  “We  came  suddenly  upon  a dread- 
ful chasm  in  the  road,  about  three  hundred  yards  long, 
one  hundred  wide,  and  as  many  deep  ; and  in  the  middle 
of  the  gulf  a single  column  of  stone  raises  its  head  to  the 
surface  of  the  earth.” — Harmed s Observations , vol.  iv., 
pp.  117,  118. 


208 


DESERTS. 


Deuteronomy  xxxii.  10. 

“ He  found  him  in  a desert  land,  and  in  the  waste, 
howling  wilderness  ; he  led  him  about,  he  instructed 
him,  he  kept  him  as  the  apple  of  his  eye.” 

Needful,  indeed,  was  such  guidance,  in  the  wilder- 
ness through  which  Israel  passed.  A very  few  passages 
from  travellers  will  prove  this.  “We  ascended  [writes 
one  of  these]  by  the  side  of  a mountain.  The  path  was 
narrow  and  perpendicular,  and  much  resembled  a ladder. 
To  make  it  worse,  ...  an  ignorant  guide  led  us  astray. 
Here  we  found  ourselves  in  a pretty  situation  ! We  were 
obliged  to  gain  the  heights,  in  order  to  recover  the  road  ; 
in  performing  which,  we  drove  our  poor  camels  up  such 
steeps,  as  we  had  the  greatest  difficulty  to  climb  after 
them.  We  were  under  the  necessity  of  leaving  them 
to  themselves  ; as  the  danger  of  leading  them  through 
places  where  the  least  false  step  would  have  precip- 
itated both  man  and  beast  to  the  unfathomable  abyss  be- 
low, was  too  critical  to  hazard.”  How  precious,  in  such 
a situation,  the  instruction  and  care  of  the  “ Keeper  of 
Israel  !”• — Harmer's  Observations , vol.  iv.,  124,  125. 

THE  MIRAGE. 

Isaiah  xxxv.  7. 

“ And  the  parched  ground  shall  become  a pool.” 

Bishop  Lowth  translates  this  clause  thus  : “ And 
the  glowing  sand  shall  become  a pool.”  In  his  note  on 
the  passage,  he  says  : “ The  word  is  Arabic,  as  well  as 
Hebrew  ; but  it  means  the  same  in  both  languages, 
namely,  the  glowing  sandy  plain,  which,  in  the  hot 
countries,  at  a distance,  has  the  appearance  of  water. 
It  sometimes  tempts  thirsty  travellers  out  of  their  way, 
but  deceives  them  when  they  come  near,  either  going 
forward,  for  it  always  appears  at  the  same  distance,  or 
it  quite  vanishes.”  Dr.  Clarke,  in  his  travels,  has  given 
a very  lively  view  of  this  wonderful  appearance.  He 
writes  : “We  arrived  at  the  wretched  solitary  village  of 


THE  MIRAGE. 


209 


Utko,  near  the  muddy  shore  of  the  lake  of  that  name. 
....  Here  we  procured  asses  for  all  our  party,  and 
setting  out  for  Rosetta,  began  to  recross  the  desert,  ap- 
pearing like  an  ocean  of  sand,  but  flatter  and  firmer,  as 
to  its  surface,  than  before.  The  Arabs,  uttering  their 
harsh  guttural  language,  ran  chattering  by  the  side  of 
our  asses,  until  some  of  them  called  out  ‘ Raschid’ 
(Rosetta),  and  we  perceived  its  domes  and  turrets,  ap- 
parently upon  the  opposite  side  of  an  immense  lake  or 
sea,  that  covered  all  the  intervening  space  between  us 
and  the  city.  Not  having  in  my  own  mind,  at  the  time, 
any  doubt  as  to  the  certainty  of  its  being  water,  and  see- 
ing the  tall  minarets  and  buildings  of  Rosetta,  with  all 
its  groves  of  dates  and  sycamores,  as  perfectly  reflected 
by  it  as  by  a mirror,  insomuch  that  even  the  minutest 
detail  of  the  architecture,  and  the  trees,  might  have  been 
thence  delineated,  I applied  to  the  Arabs  to  be  informed 
in  what  manner  we  were  to  pass  the  water.  Our  inter- 
preter, although  a Greek,  and  therefore  likely  to  have 
been  informed  of  such  a spectacle,  was  as  fully  convinced 
as  any  of  us,  that  we  were  drawing  near  to  the  water’s 
edge,  and  became  indignant  when  the  Arabs  maintained 
that  within  an  hour  we  should  reach  Rosetta,  by  crossing 
the  sands  in  -the  direct  line  we  then  pursued,  and  that 
there  was  no  water.  4 What !’  said  he,  giving  way  to 
his  impatience,  ‘ do  you  suppose  me  an  idiot,  to  be  per- 
suaded contrary  to  the  evidence  of  my  senses  V The 
Arabs,  smiling,  soon  pacified  him,  and  completely  aston- 
ished the  whole  party,  by  desiring  us  to  look  back  at 
the  desert  we  had  already  passed,  where  we  beheld  a pre- 
cisely similar  appearance.  It  was,  in  fact,  the  mirage — 
a prodigy  to  which  every  one  of  us  were  then  strangers, 
although  it  afterward  became  more  familiar.” 

Isaiah  therefore  declares,  that  in  those  happy  days  of 
which  he  was  speaking,  there  should  be  no  more  this  decep- 
tion to  distress  the  thirsty  wanderer — in  that  time  when 
the  wilderness  and  the  solitary  place  should  be  glad,  the 
glowing  sand  also  should  really  become  a pool  of  water, 
18* 


210 


CHAPTER  XIY. 


Natural  History — Lions — Arabian  Horse — Wild  Asses — White 
Asses— Dogs — Crocodiles — Storks — Hunting  Partridges — Cock- 
crowing — Serpents — Scorpions — Mice — Locusts — Flies — Lo- 
cust-trees— Salt. 

LIONS. 

Amos  iii. 

“ The  lion  hath  roared  who  will  not  fear  V 

The  roaring  of  a lion  in  quest  of  his  prey,  resembles 
the  sound  of  distant  thunder,  and  being  re-echoed  by  the 
rocks  and  mountains,  appals  the  whole  race  of  animals, 
and  puts  them  instantly  to  flight ; but  he  frequently 
varies  his  voice  into  a hideous  scream  or  yell.  “ When 
the  lion  roars,  the  beasts  of  the  field  can  do  nothing  but 
-Quake ; they  are  afraid  to  lie  still  in  their  dens,  lest  he 


LIONS. 


211 


spring  upon  them,  and  equally  afraid  to  run,  lest,  in  at- 
tempting to  escape,  they  should  take  the  direction  in 
which  he  is  prowling,  and  throw  themselves  into  the 
jaws  of  their  adversary.” — Voyage  to  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope. 

Ezekiel  xix.  6-8. 

“ [He]  became  a young  lion,  and  learned  to  catch 
the  prey.  . . . Then  the  nations  set  against  him.  . . . 
and  spread  their  net  over  him  : he  was  taken  in  their 
pit.”  (See  also  Psalm  ix.  15.) 

Fire  is  what  the  lions  are  most  afraid  of ; yet,  not- 
withstanding all  the  precaution  of  the  Arabs  in  this  re- 
spect— notwithstanding  the  barking  of  their  dogs,  and 
their  own  repeated  cries  and  exclamations  during  the 
night,  when  they  are  suspected  to  be  upon  the  prey, — 
it  frequently  happens  that  these  ravenous  beasts,  out- 
braving all  these  terrors,  will  leap  into  the  midst  of  the 
place  where  the  cattle  are  enclosed,  and  drag  thence 
a sheep  or  a goat.  If  these  ravages  are  repeated,  then 
the  Arabs  dig  a pit  where  they  are  observed  to  enter,  and 
covering  it  over  slightly  with  reeds,  or  small  branches 
of  trees,  they  frequently  decoy  and  catch  them.  The 
flesh  of  the  lion  is  in  great  esteem,  having  no  small 
affinity  with  veal,  both  in  color,  taste,  and  flavor.— 
Shaw's  Travels , p.  245. 

ARABIAN  HORSE. 

Job  xxxix.  19-25. 

“ Hast  thou  given  the  horse  strength  ? Hast  thou 
clothed  his  neck  with  thunder  ? Canst  thou  make  him 
afraid  as  a grasshopper  ? The  glory  of  his  nostrils  is 
terrible.  He  paweth  in  the  valley,  and  rejoiceth  in  his 
strength  : he  goeth  on  to  meet  the  armed  men.  He 
mocketh  at  fear,  and  is  not  affrighted  ; neither  turneth 
he  back  from  the  sword.  The  quiver  rattleth  against 


212 


ARABIAN  HORSE. 


him,  the  glittering  spear  and  the  shield.  He  swallow- 
eth  the  ground  with  fierceness  and  rage  : neither  be- 
lieveth  he  that  it  is  the  sound  of  the  trumpet.  He  saith 
among  the  trumpets,  ha,  ha ; and  he  smelleth  the  battle 
afar  off,  the  thunder  of  the  captains,  and  the  shouting.” 

The  Arabian  horses  are  justly  esteemed  for  their  re- 
markable hardiness,  swiftness,  and  beauty.  Mr.  Ste- 
phens says  of  one  of  them,  the  property  of  the  sheikh 
of  the  tribe  of  Arabs  he  was  then  with  : “ The  sheikh’s 
was  an  extraordinary  animal.  The  saddle  had  not  been 
off  her  back  for  thirty  days  ; and  the  sheikh,  himself  a 
most  restless  creature,  would  dash  off  suddenly  a dozen 
times  a day,  on  a full  run  across  the  valley,  up  the  sides 
of  a mountain,  round  and  round  our  caravan,  with  his 
long  spear  poised  in  the  air,  and  his  dress  streaming  in 
the  wind  ; and  when  he  returned  and  brought  her  to  a 
walk  at  my  side,  the  beautiful  animal  would  snort  and 
paw  the  ground,  as  if  proud  of  what  she  had  done,  and 
anxious  for  another  course.  I could  almost  imagine  I 
saw  the  ancient  war-horse  of  Idumea  so  finely  described 
by  Job. — Incidents  of  Travel , vol.  ii.,  pp.  118,  119. 


WILD  ASS. 

Jeremiah  ii.  24. 

“ [Thou  art]  a wild  ass  used  to  the  wilderness,  that 
snuffeth  up  the  wind  at  her  pleasure.” 

Jeremiah  xiv.  6. 

“ And  the  wild  asses  did  stand  in  the  high  places  ; 
they  snuffed  up  the  wind  like  dragons  ; their  eyes  did 
fail,  because  there  was  no  grass.” 

When  travelling  in  Persia,  Mr.  Morier  writes: 
“ On  the  desert,  ....  in  the  gray  of  the  morning,  we 
gave  chase  to  two  wild  asses,  which  had  so  much  the 
speed  of  our  horses,  that  when  they  had  got  at  some 


WILD  ASS. 


213 


distance  they  stood  still  and  looked  behind  at  us,  snort- 
ing with  their  noses  in  the  air,  as  if  in  contempt  of  our 
endeavors  to  catch  them.  The  Persians  sometimes 
succeed  in  killing  them,  but  not  without  great  dexterity 
and  knowledge  of  their  haunts.  To  effect  this,  they 
place  relays  of  horsemen  and  dogs  upon  the  track 
which  they  are  known  to  pursue,  and  then  hunt  them 


toward  the  relays,  when  the  fresh  dogs  and  horses  are 
started  upon  the  half-exhausted  animal.  This  animal  is 
common  to  the  whole  of  Persia,  although  its  proper  soil 
is  Arabia.  It  is  of  a light  mouse-color,  with  a dark 
streak  over  its  shoulders  and  down  its  back.  The  head 
is  large,  but  it  is  much  more  light  and  lively  than  the 
common  ass,  in  its  gait.  It  is  of  a most  obstinate  na- 
ture, and  seems  to  be  extremely  refractory  under  any 
restraint  The  wildness  and  love  of  liberty  which  char- 


214 


WILD  ASS. 


acterize  this  animal,  are  beautifully  described  by  the 
prophet  Jeremiah  : ‘ A wild  ass  used  to  the  wilderness, 
that  snuffeth  up  the  wind  at  her  pleasure’  (ch.  ii.  24), 
and  again  in  ch.  xiv.  6,  when  their  image  is  allied  to  all 
the  horrors  of  a parched  desert.” — Moneys  Second  Jour- 
ney through  Persia , fyc.,  pp.  200-202. 


WHITE  ASSES. 

Judges  v.  10. 

“ Speak,  ye  that  ride  on  white  asses,  ye  that  sit  in 
judgment.” 

White  asses  come  from  Arabia.  Their  scarcity 
makes  them  valuable,  and  gives  them  consequence.  Mr. 
Morier  says,  that  in  Ispahan,  in  Persia,  “ The  mollahs, 
or  men  of  the  law,  are  generally  to  be  seen  riding  about 
on  mules  ; and  they  also  account  it  a dignity,. and  suited 
to  their  character,  to  ride  on  white  asses  ; which  is  a 
striking  illustration  of  what  we  read  in  Judges  v.  10.” — 
Morier' s Second  Journey  through  Persia , p.  136. 


DOGS. 

Psalm  lix.  14,  15. 

And  at  evening  let  them  return  ; and  let  them  make 
a noise  like  a dog,  and  go  round  about  the  city.  Let 
them  wander  up  and  down  for  meat,  and  grudge  if  they 
be  not  satisfied.” 

By  the  Jewish  law,  the  dog  was  an  unclean  animal, 
and  much  despised.  Dogs  were  very  numerous  in  the 
cities  of  the  Jews.  They  were  not  shut  up  in  their 
houses  or  courts,  but  wandered  up  and  down,  seeking* 
food.  They  sometimes  made  great  howlings,  especially 
when  oppressed  by  hunger. — Calmet ... 


4 


DOGS. 


215 


The  Turks  reckon  a dog  an  unclean  creature,  and 
therefore  drive  him  from  their  houses.  These  animals 
belong  not  among  them  to  any  particular  owners,  but 
rather  guard  the  streets  and  districts  than  any  house, 
living  on  the  refuse  that  is  thrown  abroad — Russell . 

The  words,  “ At  evening  let  them  return,”  alludes  to 
the  return  of  the  dogs  into  the  city,  after  their  wander- 
ing in  the  suburbs  and  other  places  in  quest  of  prey. 

In  very  ancient  times,  dogs  were  looked  upon  as  sa- 
cred ; and  Herodotus  says,  that  on  the  death  of  a dog 
in  Egypt,  the  people  shaved  their  heads,  and  that  the 
females  were  buried  in  consecrated  chests  when  they 
die.  “ It  was,  perhaps,  to  prevent  the  Israelites  from 
retaining  any  notion  of  this  kind,  that  no  dog  was  suf- 
fered to  come  within  the  precincts  of  their  temple  at 
Jerusalem.” — Bryant. 

By  the  ancient  Jews,  dogs  were  regarded  in  a disa- 
greeable light.  “ Am  I a dog  ?”  said  the  Philistine  to 
David.  “ What,  is  thy  servant  a dog  ?”  said  Hazael,  &c. 
At  the  present  day,  the  people  in  the  East  avoid  with 
care  touching  this  animal  in  the  streets  ; and,  indeed,  it 
may  be  remarked,  that  in  most  countries  and  languages 
the  word  “ dog”  is  a term  of  contempt. 


CROCODILES. 

Job  vii.  12. 

“ Am  I a sea,  or  a whale,  that  thou  settest  a watch 
over  me  ?” 

The  river  Nile,  in  its  inundations,  is  sometimes  dan- 
gerous, and  requires  to  be  watched,  lest  its  waters  should 
carry  away  villages — as  has  been  the  case.  Of  one  of 
the  greatest  of  these  inundations  ever  known,  an  eye- 
witness has  left  the  following  history  : — 

The  Egyptians  generally  erect  fences  of  earth  and 
reeds,  and  mounds  also,  around  their  villages,  to  protect 


216 


CROCODILES. 


them  from  the  waters  ; but  on  this  occasion,  all  was  vain. 
“ Their  cottages,  built  of  earth,  could  not  stand  one  in- 
stant against  the  current ; and  no  sooner  did  the  water 
reach  them,  than  it  levelled  them  with  the  ground. 
The  rapid  stream  carried  off  all  that  was  before  it — men, 
women,  and  children,  cattle,  corn,  everything — was 
washed  away  in  an  instant,  and  left  the  place  where 
the  village  stood,  without  anything  to  indicate  that  there 
had  ever  been  a house  on  the  spot.  Egypt  appeared 
to  be  in  the  midst  of  a vast  lake  containing  various 


islands The  village  of  Agalta  was  four  feet 

below  the  water,  and  the  poor  people  were  on  watch 
day  and  night  round  their  fences  : if  they  should  be 
broken  down,  all  was  lost.  We  offered  to  take  one  with 
us,  but  he  could  not  leave  the  place  he  was  ordered  to 
guard. 


CROCODILES. 


217 


u We  saw  several  villages  in  great  danger  of  being 
destroyed.  The  rapid  stream  had  carried  away  the 
fences,  and  their  unfortunate  inhabitants  were  obliged 
to  escape  to  higher  grounds,  where  it  was  possible,  with 
what  they  could  save  from  the  water.  The  distress  of 
these  people  was  great.  Some  crossed  the  water  on 
pieces  of  wood — some  on  cows — and  others  with  reeds 
tied  up  in  large  bundles.  The  small  spots  of  high 
ground  that  stood  above  the  water,  formed  so  many 
sanctuaries,  and  were  crowded  with  people  and  beasts. 
The  scanty  stock  of  provisions  they  could  save,  was  the 
only  subsistence  they  could  expect.  In  some  parts  the 
water  had  left  scarcely  any  dry  ground,  and  no  relief 
could  be  hoped  for  till  four-and-twenty  days  had  elapsed. 
The  chiefs  of  the  country  did  everything  they  could  to 
assist  the  villagers  with  their  little  boats  ; but  they  were 
so  small  in  proportion  to  what  was  wanted,  that  they 
could  not  relieve  the  greater  part.  It  was  distressing  to 
behold  these  poor  creatures  in  such  a situation.  To  ap- 
proach them  with  our  little  boat  would  have  been  dan- 
gerous both  to  them  and  to  us  ; for  so  many  would  enter 
it  at  once,  that  the  boat  would  sink,  and  we  along  with 
them.” — BelzonVs  Travels. 

The  word  translated  whale , in  this  passage,  probably 
means  a crocodile.  This  creature  is  extremely  dan- 
gerous, being  known  to  carry  off  even  men  on  the 
borders  of  the  Nile,  and  in  some  parts  their  numbers 
are  so  great,  that  they  sometimes  stop  small  troops  of 
travellers.  The  Egyptians  therefore  watch  them  with 
great  attention,  in  order  to  secure  and  slay  them.  Deep 
ditches  are  dug  along  the  river,  into  which  the  crocodile 
may  fall.  Some  bait  them — others  hide  themselves  in 
the  places  which  they  know  to  be  frequented  by  this 
creature,  and  lay  snares  for  him.  Some  are  even  bold 
enough  to  fix  the  dart  in  him  while  he  sleeps.  One  of 
the  inhabitants  of  Upper  Egypt  took  one  of  them  in 
the  following  novel  and  singular  manner : “ He  placed 
a very  young  boy  in  the  spot  where  the  day  before  a 
19 


218 


CROCODILES. 


crocodile  had  devoured  a girl  of  fifteen,  belonging  to 
the  governor  of  the  place,  who  had  promised  a reward 
to  any  one  who  should  bring  him  the  animal  dead  or 
alive.  The  man  at  the  same  time  concealed  himself 
very  near  the  child,  holding  a large  board  in  his  hand ; 
as  soon  as  he  perceived  the  crocodile  had  advanced  near 
the  child,  he  pushed  his  board  into  the  open  mouth  of 
the  creature,  upon  which  his  sharp  teeth,  which  cross 
each  other,  entered  into  this  board  with  such  violence, 
that  he  could  not  disengage  them,  so  that  it  was  impos- 
sible for  him  after  that  to  open  his  mouth.” 

The  man  secured  him,  and  gained  the  reward. 

The  crocodile  is  possessed  of  extraordinary  force. 

“ A few  days  ago,”  writes  a traveller,  “ they  brought 
me  one  alive,  a foot  and  a half  long  only.  He  was 
secured  by  a cord.  I caused  his  snout  to  be  set  free, 
and  he  immediately  turned  to  bite  him  that  held  him ; 
but  he  only  seized  on  his  own  tail,  into  which  his  teeth 
entered  so  far,  that  it  was  necessary  to  make  use  of  an 
iron  instrument  to  open  his  mouth.  This  creature  might 
be  no  more  than  a fortnight  old.  What  might  one  of 
twenty  or  more  feet  do  ? I last  year  saw*  one  of  twelve 
feet,  which  had  eaten  nothing  for  thirty-five  days,  having 
his  mouth  muzzled  all  that  time.  With  one  stroke  of 
his  tail,  he  threw  down  five  or  six  men,  and  a bale  of 
coffee,  with  perfect  ease.” — Maillet.  See  Harmer's  Ob- 
servations, vol.  iii.,  pp.  514-517. 

Job  xli. 

“ Canst  thou  draw  out  leviathan  with  a hook  ? . . . . 
Will  he  speak  soft  words  unto  thee  ? . . . . Canst  thou 
fill  his  skin  with  barbed  irons  ? . . . . His  scales  are  his 
pride,  shut  up  together  as  with  a close  seal.  One  is  so 
near  to  another,  that  no  air  can  come  between  them.  . . . 

In  his  neck  remaineth  strength When  he  raiseth 

up  himself,  the  mighty  are  afraid : . . . . Sharp  stones 
are  under  him  : he  maketh  the  deep  to  boil  like 

a pot : he  maketh  the  sea  like  a pot  of  ointment.  He 


CROCODILES. 


219 


maketh  a path  to  shine  after  him ; one  would  think  the 
deep  to  be  hoary.  Upon  earth  there  is  not  his  like,  who 
is  made  without  fear.”  (See  whole  chapter.) 

This  description  of  the  leviathan,  or  crocodile,  ex- 
actly agrees  with  our  accounts  of  that  terrible  creature.. 
It  devours  fishing-tackle  ; two  hooks  were  found  in  one, 
which  it  had  swallowed.  Its  length  is  about  twenty  feet, 
its  breadth  five  ; it  has  the  largest  mouth  of  all  monsters. 
It  has  near  eighty  sharp,  strong,  massy  teeth — its  voice 
is  terrific — a loud,  hollow  growling — and  it  is  furnished 
with  a coat  so  scaly  and  callous  as  to  resist  the  force  of 
a musket-ball  in  every  part,  except  under  the  belly.  Its 
voracity  and  strength  are  enormous — it  is  very  fleet  in 
swimming — attacks  mankind  and  the  largest  animals 
with  the  most  daring  impetuosity — nothing  that  it  once 
seizes  can  escape, — for,  shaking  its  prey  to  pieces,  it 
swallows  it  without  mastication.  So  hard  and  impene- 
trable are  the  scales  of  the  crocodile,  that  splinters  of 
flint,  sharp  stones,  are  the  same  to  him  as  the  softest 
reeds.  When  he  dives  to  the  bottom,  the  agitation  of 
the  water  may  justly  be  compared  to  liquor  boiling  in  a 
caldron ; and  his  body  being  strongly  impregnated  with 
the  scent  of  musk,  the  water  is  affected  by  it  to  a con- 
siderable distance  ; by  his  rapid  passage  through  the 
water  he  makes  it  white  with  foam,  in  Job’s  expressive 
language,  “ one  would  think  the  deep  to  be  hoary.”  By 
his  tail  he  caused  the  waves  to  sparkle  like  a train  of 
light.  There  is  no  creature  among  terrestrial  animals 
so  thoroughly  dangerous,  so  exceedingly  strong,  so  dif- 
ficult to  be  wounded  or  slain,  and  perhaps  there  is  no 
creature  so  totally  destitute  of  fear. — Notes  upon  the 
forty-first  chapter  of  Job,  in  the  Treasury  Bible . 


220 


STORKS. 


STORKS. 

Jeremiah  viii.  7. 

u Yea,  the  stork  in  the  heavens  knowethher  appointed 

tunes But  my  people  know  not  the  judgment  of 

the  Lord.” 

Dr.  Shaw  saw  the  stork,  returning  in  such  numbers 
near  to,  or  over  the  Holy  Land,  as  could  not  but  attract 
his  notice,  when  he  was  on  the  coast  of  that  country. 
fc‘I  saw,”  he  writes,  “ in  the  middle  of  April,  1722 
(our  ship  then  lying  at  anchor  under  Mount  Carmel), 
three  flights  of  storks,  some  of  which  were  more  open 
and  scattered,  with  larger  intervals  between  them  ; oth- 
ers were  closer  and  more  compact,  as  in  the  flights  of 
crows  and  other  birds  each  of  which  took  up  more  than 
three  hours  in  passing  by  us,  extending  itself,  at  the  same 
time,  more  than  half  a mile  in  breadth.  They  were 
then  leaving  Egypt  (where  the  canals  and  ponds  that 
are  annually  left  by  the  Nile,  were  become  dry),  and 
directed  themselves  toward  the  northeast.”  The  ex- 
pression, stork  in  the  heaven , points  out  the  manner  in 
which  this  bird  flies  in  its  passage,  whereas  many  birds 
come  and  go  in  a more  private  and  concealed  manner. 
Dr.  Shaw's  Travels , p.  428  ; see  Harmer's  Observations , 
vol.  iii.,  pp.  327,  328. 


HUNTING  PARTRIDGES. 

1 Samuel  xxvi.  20. 

“ Now  therefore,  let  not  my  blood  fall  to  the  earth 
before  the  face  of  the  Lord  : for  the  king  of  Israel  is 
come  out  to  seek  a flea,  as  when  one  doth  hunt  a par- 
tridge in  the  mountains.” 

The  Arabs  have  the  following  method  of  catching 
partridges.  Observing  that  they  become  languid  and 


HUNTING  PARTRIDGES. 


221 


fatigued  after  they  have  been  hastily  put  up  twice  or 
thrice,  they  immediately  run  in  upon  them,  and  knock 
them  down  with  their  bludgeons.  It  was  precisely  in 
this  manner  Saul  hunted  David  ; coming  hastily  upon 
him,  and  putting  him  up  from  time  to  time,  in  hopes  he 
should  at  length,  by  frequent  repetitions  of  it,  be  able  to 
destroy  him. — Harmer’s  Observations , vol.  ii.,  pp.  75,  76. 


COCK-CROWING  IN  THE  EAST. 

Mark  xiv.  30. 

“ In  this  night,  before  the  cock  crow  twice,  thou  shalt 
deny  me  thrice.”  (See  also  ch.  xiii.  35.) 

“ It  has  been  often  remarked,  in  illustration  of  Scrip- 
ture, that  in  the  Eastern  countries  the  cocks  crow  in  the 
night ; but  the  regularity  with  which  they  keep  what 
may  be  called  the  watches,  has  not  been,  perhaps,  suffi- 
ciently noticed.  I will,  however,  confine  myself  to  one, 
and  that  is  between  eleven  and  twelve  o’clock.  I have 
often  heard  the  cocks  of  Smyrna  crowing  in  full  chorus 
at  that  time,  and  with  scarcely  the  variation  of  a minute. 
Th e second  cock-crowing  is  between  one  and  two  o’clock. 
Therefore,  when  our  Lord  says,  ‘ In  this  night,  before 
the  cock  crow  twice?  the  allusion  was  clearly  to  these 
seasons.  In  fact,  this  was  altogether  so  novel  to  me  at 
my  first  arrival  in  Smyrna,  that  I could  calculate  the 
hours  of  the  night  with  as  much  precision,  by  what  I 
termed  my  alectrometer,  as  by  my  watch.” — ArundeVs 
Discoveries  in  Asia  Minor . 

SERPENTS. 

Psalm  lviii.  4,  5. 

“ They  are  like  the  deaf  adder  that  stoppeth  her  ear  ; 
which  will  not  hearken  to  the  voice  of  charmers,  charm- 
ing never  so  wisely.” 


19* 


222 


SERPENTS. 


In  these  words  there  is  an  evident  allusion  to  a com- 
mon practice  in  the  East.  The  cobra  de  capella,  or 
hooded  snake,  is  a large  and  beautiful  serpent,  but  one 
of  the  most  venomous.  It  has  the  power  of  contracting 
or  enlarging  its  hood,  the  centre  of  which  is  marked  in 
black  and  white,  like  a pair  of  spectacles,  on  which 
account  it  is  called  the  spectacle  snake.  Of  this  kind 
are  the  dancing  snakes,  which  are  carried  in  baskets 
through  Hindoostan,  and  procure  a maintenance  for  a 
set  of  people  who  play  a few  simple  notes  on  the  flute, 
with  which  the  snakes  seem  much  delighted,  and  keep 
time  by  a graceful  motion  of  the  head,  erecting  about 
half  their  length  from  the  ground,  and  following  the 
music  with  gentle  curves.  “ Among  my  drawings,” 
writes  an  Eastern  traveller,  “ is  that  of  a cobra  de  ca- 
pella, which  danced  for  an  hour  on  the  table,  while  I 
painted  it ; during  which  time  I frequently  handled  it,  to 
observe  the  beauty  of  the  spots,  and  especially  the  spec- 
tacles on  the  hood,  not  doubting  but  that  its  venomous 
fangs  had  been  previously  extracted.  But  the  next 
morning,  my  upper  servant  came  to  me  in  great  haste, 
and  desired  that  I would  instantly  retire  and  praise  God 
for  my  good  fortune.  Not  understanding  his  meaning, 
I told  him  that  I had  already  performed  my  devotions. 
He  then  informed  me,  that,  while  purchasing  some  fruit, 
he  observed  the  man  who  had  been  with  me  on  the  pre- 
ceding evening,  entertaining  the  country  people  with  his 
dancing  snakes  : they,  according  to  their  usual  custom, 
sat  on  the  ground  around  him ; when,  either  from  the 
music  stopping  too  suddenly,  or  from  some  other  cause 
irritating  the  vicious  reptile,  which  I had  so  often 
handled,  it  darted  at  the  throat  of  a young  woman,  and 
inflicted  a wound  of  which  she  died  in  about  a half  an 
hour.” 

In  No.  65  of  the  Penny  Magazine  (for  April,  1833), 
is  the  following  narrative,  communicated  to  the  writer 
by  a gentleman  of  high  station  in  the  Honorable  Com- 
pany’s Civil  Service  at  Madras. 


SERPENTS. 


223 


“ One  morning  as  I sat  at  breakfast,  I heard  a loud 
noise  and  shouting  among  my  palankeen-bearers.  On 
inquiry,  I learned  that  they  had  seen  a large  hooded 
snake,  and  were  trying  to  kill  it.  I immediately  went 
out,  and  saw  the  snake  climbing  up  a very  high  green 
mound,  whence  it  escaped  into  a hole  in  an  old  wall 
of  an  ancient  fortification  ; the  men  were  armed  with 
their  sticks,  which  they  always  carry  in  their  hands, 
and  had  attempted  in  vain  to  kill  the  reptile,  which  had 
eluded  their  pursuit,  and  in  this  hole  he  had  coiled  him- 
self up  secure,  while  we  could  see  his  bright  eyes 
shining.  I had  often  desired  to  ascertain  the  truth  of 
the  report,  as  to  the  effect  of  music  upon  snakes  : I 
therefore  inquired  for  a snake-catcher.  I was  told  there 
was  no  person  of  the  kind  in  the  village  : but  after  a 
little  inquiry,  I heard  there  was  one  in  a village  distant 
three  miles.  I accordingly  sent  for  him,  keeping  a 
strict  watch  over  the  snake,  which  never  attempted  to 
escape  while  we,  his  enemies,  were  in  sight.  About  an 
hour  elapsed  when  my  messenger  returned,  bringing  a 
snake-catcher.  This  man  wore  no  covering  on  his  head, 
nor  any  on  his  person,  excepting  a small  piece  of  cloth 
round  his  loins  ; he  had  in  his  hands  two  baskets,  one 
containing  tame  snakes,  one  empty ; these  and  his  musi- 
cal pipe  were  the  only  things  he  had  with  him.  I made 
the  snake-catcher  leave  his  two  baskets  on  the  ground  at 
some  distance,  while  he  ascended  the  mound  with  his 
pipe  alone.  He  began  to  play  : at  the  sound  of  music 
the  snake  came  gradually  and  slowly  out  of  his  hole. 
When  he  was  entirely  within  reach,  the  snake-catcher 
seized  him  dexterously  by  the  tail,  and  held  him  thus  at 
arm’s  length  ; while  the  snake,  enraged,  darted  his  head 
in  all  directions  but  in  vain  : thus  suspended,  he  has  not 
the  power  to  round  himself  so  as  to  seize  hold  of  his 
tormentor.  He  exhausted  himself  in  vain  exertions; 
when  the  snake-catcher  descended  the  bank,  dropped 
him  into  the  empty  basket,  and  closed  the  lid  ; he  then 
d)egan  to  play,  and  after  a short  time,  raising  the  lid  of 


224 


SERPENTS. 


the  basket,  the  snake  darted  about  wildly,  and  attempted 
to  escape  ; the  lid  was  shut  down  again  quickly,  the 
music  always  playing.  This  was  repeated  two  or  three 
times  ; and  in  a very  short  interval,  the  lid  being  raised, 
the  snake  sat  on  his  tail,  opened  his  hood  and  danced 
quite  as  quietly  as  the  tame  snakes  in  the  other  basket ; 
nor  did  he  again  attempt  an  escape.  This,  having  wit- 
nessed with  my  own  eyes,  I can  assert  as  a fact.” 

Amos  v.  19. 

“ As  if  a man  did  flee  from  a lion,  and  a bear  met 
him  ; or  went  into  the  house,  and  leaned  his  hand  on  the 
wall,  and  a serpent  bit  him.” 

“ Ammadeddulat,  who  reigned  in  Persia  in  the 
tenth  century,  and  was  a most  generous  prince,  found 
himself  reduced  to  great  difficulties,  when  fortune,  which 
had  raised  him  from  a very  low  state  (for  he  was 
nothing  more  than  a son  of  a fisherman),  undertook  to 

maintain  him For  walking  one  day  in  one  of  the 

rooms  of  his  palace,  which  had  been  before  that  time 
the  residence  of  Jacout,  his  enemy,  he  perceived  a ser- 
pent, which  put  his  head  out  of  a chink  in  the  wall. 
Upon  which  he  immediately  ordered  that  the  place 
should  be  searched,  and  the  serpent  killed.  In  opening 
the  wall  there,  they  found  a secret  place,  in  which  they 
could  not  discover  the  serpent,  but  a treasure  which  was 
lodged  in  several  coffers.”.  . . . 

This  story  is  in  the  collection  from  Eastern  writers, 
made  by  M.  d’Herbelot.  A traveller  also  mentions 
being  alarmed  at  a person’s  being  stung  by  a scorpion 
concealed  in  a hole  of  the  house-wall. — Harmer's  Obser- 
vations, vol.  i.,  pp.  331,  332. 

SCORPIONS  IN  THE  WILDERNESS. 

Deuteronomy  viii.  15. 

“ Wherein  were  fiery  serpents  and  scorpions.” 


SCORPIONS  IN  THE  WILDERNESS. 


225 


u We  entered  into  Wady  Araba,”  writes  Laborde, 
the  plain  of  Elath  and  of  Ezion  Gaba,  the  scriptural 
route  of  the  Red  sea.  When  the  Israelites  were  de- 
feated by  the  Amalekites  and  the  Cananeans,  and  refused 
admission  into  the  country  of  the  Edomites,  they  de- 
scended into  Wady  Araba,  in  order  to  turn  Idumea.  On 
arriving  in  this  valley,  their  sufferings  were  still  farther 
augmented  by  the  multitude  of  serpents  which  assailed 
them.  The  fact  thus  recorded  in  Scripture,  is  fully  con- 
firmed by  the  report  of  the  Arabs,  and  by  the  vast  num- 
bers of  those  reptiles  which  we  found  two  leagues  to  the 
east  of  this  place.”  When  near  a forest  in  the  desert, 
the  same  traveller  thus  describes  the  bite  of  the  scor- 
pion, the  burning  effect  of  which  accounts  for  the  term 
“ fiery  serpent” 


“ A little  black  boy,  belonging  to  the  governor,  who 
was  running  about,  set  up  the  most  inhuman  cries  : he 
was  stung  by  a scorpion  which  he  had  trod  upon.  He 
must  have  suffered  excessive  pain ; for  although  of  a 
race  which  bears  everything  with  remarkable  patience. 


226 


SCORPIONS  IN  THE  WILDERNESS. 


he  rolled  on  the  ground,  grinding  his  teeth,  and  foaming 
at  the  mouth.  We  knew  of  no  remedy  by  which  we 
could  afford  him  relief.  The  people  put  a bandage  on 
the  wound,  which  produced  little  effect.  After  three 
long  quarters  of  an  hour  of  suffering,  he  complained  less, 
but  could  make  no  use  of  his  foot,  which  was  very  much 
inflamed.  Our  friends,  who  had  been  used  to  accidents 
of  this  kind,  looked  upon  it  as  an  ordinary  affair,  but 
advised  us  at  the  same  time  to  be  on  our  guard,  as  the 
serpents  abounded  in  these  walls.” — See  Amos  v.  19. — 
Laborde’s  Mount  Sinai  and  Petra , p.  122. 

MICE. 

1 Samuel  vi.  5. 

“ Wherefore  ye  shall  make  images  ....  of  your 
mice,  that  mar  the  land  ; and  ye  shall  give  glory  unto 
the  God  of  Israel ; peradventure  he  will  lighten  his 
hand  from  off  you,  and  from  off  your  gods,  and  from  off 
your  land.” 

This  terrible  scourge  was  not  peculiar  to  Palestine. 
An  historian*  mentions,  that  so  vast  a multitude  of  mice 
sometimes  invaded  Spain  in  ancient  times,  that  they 
produced  a destructive  pestilence  ; and  in  Cantabria, 
the  Romans,  by  setting  a price  upon  a certain  measure 
of  these  animals,  escaped  with  difficulty  from  the  same 
calamity ; while  in  other  parts  of  Italy  the  number  of 
field-mice  was  so  great,  that  some  of  the  inhabitants 
were  forced  to  leave  the  country.  About  the  beginning 
of  the  12th  century,  swarms  of  locusts  and  mice  during 
four  successive  years,  so  completely  ravaged  that  land, 
as  to  cause  almost  a total  failure  of  the  necessaries  of 
life.  So  great  and  general  was  the  distress  of  the 
people,  that  a kind  of  penitential  council  was  held  in 
the  year  1120,  for  the  reformation  of  manners,  and  to 


* Strabo. 


MICE. 


227 


invoke  the  mercy  of  the  Almighty,  who  had  been  pro- 
voked by  their  sins  to  inflict  upon  them  such  terrible 
judgments. 


LOCUSTS. 

Matthew  iii. 

“ His  meat  was  locusts  and  wild  honey. 

“The  southeast*  wind,”  writes  a traveller,  “ constantly 
brought  with  it  innumerable  flights  of  locusts,  but  those 
which  fell  on  this  occasion,  we  were  informed,  were  not 
of  the  predatory  sort.  They  were  three  inches  long 
from  the  head  to  the  extremity  of  the  wing,  and  their 
body  and  head  of  a bright  yellow.  The  locusts  which 
destroys  vegetation  is  of  a larger  kind,  and  of  a deep 


red.  As  soon  as  the  wind  had  subsided,  the  plain  of 
Bushire  was  covered  by  a great  number  of  its  poorer 
inhabitants,  men,  women,  and  children,  who  came  out 
to  gather  locusts,  which  they  eat.  They  also  dry  and 
salt  them,  and  afterward  sell  them  in  the  bazars  as 
the  food  of  the  lowest  peasantry.  When  boiled,  the 
yellow  ones  turn  red,  and  eat  like  stale  or  decayed 
shrimps.  The  locustsf  and  wild  honey,  which  St.  John 

* Exodus  x.  13. 

f The  locust  was  a clean  meat.  (Levit.  xi.  22.) 


228 


LOCUSTS. 


ate  in  the  wilderness,  are,  perhaps,  particularly  men- 
tioned to  show  that  he  fared  like  the  poorest  of  men, 
and  not  as  a wild  man,  as  some  might  interpret.  In- 
deed, the  general  appearance  of  St.  John,  clothed  with 
camel’s  hair  (or  skin),  with  a leathern  girdle  about  his 
loins,  and  living  a life  of  the  greatest  self-denial,  was 
that  of  the  older  Jewish  prophets  (Zach.  xiii.  4),  and 
such  was  the  dress  of  Elijah,  the  hairy  man,  with  a 
girdle  about  his  loins,  described  in  2 Kings  i.  8. — Mo- 
neys Second  Journey  through  Persia , fyc .,  p.  44. 

A French  traveller,  who  passed  Egypt  on  his  way 
from  the  upper  country  and  the  Red  sea,  assures  me, 
the  Arabs  make  a sort  of  bread  of  the  locusts.  They 
dry  them,  grind  them  to  a powder  ; then  mix  this  powder 
with  water,  and  make  small  round  cakes,  which  serve 
for  bread,  when  that  necessary  article  is  scarce. — Mad - 
den's  Travels. 


Jeremiah  li.  14. 

“ Surely  I will  fill  thee  with  men,  as  with  caterpillars, 
and  they  shall  lift  up  a shout  against  thee.” 

Nahum  iii.  17. 

“ Thy  crowned  are  as  the  locusts,  and  thy  captains  as 
the  great  grasshoppers,  which  camp  in  the  hedges  in 
the  cold  day,  but  when  the  sun  ariseth  they  flee  away, 
and  their  place  is  not  known  where  they  are.” 

While  at  Shiraz,  Mr.  Morier  records  that,  “ On  the 
11th  of  June,  while  seated  in  our  tents  about  noon,  we 
heard  a very  unusual  noise,  that  sounded  like  the  rushing 
of  a great  wind  at  a distance.  On  looking  up  we  per- 
ceived an  immense  cloud,  here  and  there  semi-trans- 
parent, in  other  parts  quite  black,  that  spread  itself  all 
over  the  sky,  and  at  intervals  shadowed  the  sun.  This 
we  soon  found  to  be  locusts,  whole  swarms  of  them 
falling  about  us  ; but  their  passage  was  but  momentary, 
for  a fresh  wind  from  the  southwest,  which  had  brought 
them  to  us,  so  completely  drove  them  forward,  that  not 


LOCUSTS. 


229 


a vestige  of  them  was  to  be  seen  two  hours  after.  The 
locusts  which  we  saw  at  Bushire  were  like  those  which 
Dr.  Shaw  saw  in  Barbary,  with  legs  and  body  of  a 
bright  yellow,  and  the  wings  spotted  brown.  These 
were  larger  and  of  a red  color,  and  I should  suppose 
are  the  real  predatory  locust,  one  of  the  Egyptian 
plagues  ; they  are  also  the  great  grasshopper  mentioned 
by  the  prophet  Nahum,  no  doubt  in  contradistinction  to 
the  lesser.  As  soon  as  they  appeared,  the  gardeners 
and  husbandmen  made  loud  shouts , to  prevent  their 
settling  on  their  grounds.  The  strength  and  agility  of 
these  animals  make  me  suppose  that  this  was  their  first 
flight,  and  that  they  could  not  have  come  from  any  great 
distance.  The  Persians  said  they  came  from  the  Ger- 
mesir  (or  4 the  hot,’  being  a hot  and  desert  tract  of  land 
in  Persia),  which  is  likely  enough,  as  that  was  the  di- 
rection whence  the  wind  blew.  They  seemed  to  be 
impelled  by  one  common  instinct,  and  moved  in  one 
body,  which  had  the  appearance  of  being  organized  by  a 
leader.  All  was  dry  in  the  plain  of  Shiraz,  the  same 
instinct  seemed  to  propel  them  forward  to  countries  of 
more  vegetation,  and  with  a small  slant  of  the  wind  to 
the  westward  they  would  get  into  the  mountains  of 
Louristan,  where  the  corn  was  not  ripe  : and  where,  as 
the  prophet  Joel  says  (i.  3),  after  comparing  them  to  a 
great  army,  4 they  had  the  land  of  Eden  before  them.5 
Their  strength  must  be  very  great,  if  we  consider  what 
immense  journeys  they  have  been  known  to  make.  They 
came  from  Africa  to  Italy — they  have  been  known  in 
Scotland,  and  have  been  seen  in  the  island  of  Mada- 
gascar, the  nearest  point  of  which,  from  Mosambique 
on  the  continent,  is  one  hundred  and  twenty  leagues. 

44 1 have  had  opportunities  [continues  Mr.  Morier], 
from  time  to  time  to  make  observations  on  the  locust,  par- 
ticularly at  Smyrna,  where,  in  1800  they  committed 
great  depredations.  About  the  middle  of  April  the 
hedges  and  ridges  of  the  fields  began  to  swarm  with 
young  locusts,  which  then  wore  a black  appearance,  had 
20 


230 


LOCUSTS. 


no  wings,  and  were  quite  harmless.  About  the  middle 
of  May  they  had  increased  triple  the  size,  were  of  a 
gray  cindery  color,  and  had  incipient  wings  about  half 
an  inch  long.  They  still  continued  to  be  harmless  ; but 
at  the  end  of  June  they  had  grown  to  their  full  size, 
which  was  three  and  a half  inches  in  length  ; the  legs, 
head,  and  extremities,  red  ; the  body  a pale  color,  tend- 
ing to  red.  They  appear  to  be  created  for  a scourge  ; 
since  to  strength  incredible  for  so  small  a creature,  they 
add  saw-like  teeth,  admirably  calculated  to  ‘ eat  up  all 
the  herbs  in  the  land,  and  devour  the  fruit  of  the  ground.’ 
They  remained  on  the  face  of  the  country  during  the 
months  of  July  and  August,  sometimes  taking  their 
flight  in  vast  clouds,  and  impelled  by  a strong  wind, 
were  either  lost  in  the  sea,  or  were  driven  into  other 
countries.  It  was  during  their  stay  that  they  showed 
themselves  to  be  the  real  plague  described  in  Exodus. 
They  seemed  to  march  in  regular  battalions,  crawling 
over  everything  that  lay  in  their  passage,  in  one  straight 
front.  They  entered  the  inmost  recesses  of  the  houses, 
were  found  in  every  corner,  stuck  to  our  clothes,  and 
infested  our  food.  The  locusts  lay  their  eggs  in  the 
autumn,  which  they  do  frequently  before  they  take  their 
flight.  Sometimes  they  deposite  them  in  countries 
where  they  alight  after  their  flight.  The  husbandman 
and  vine-dressers  knew  whether  eggs  had  been  depos- 
ited by  them,  and  were  most  active  in  discovering  them. 
Sometimes  k would  happen  that  none  had  been  depos- 
ited at  one  village  while  they  were  found  at  the  next, 
and  they  calculated  their  harvests  and  vintages  accord- 
ingly. The  operation  of  the  female  locust  in  laying 
her  eggs,  is  highly  interesting.  She  chooses  a piece 
of  light  earth,  well  protected  by  a bush  or  hedge, 
where  she  makes  a hole  for  herself,  so  deep  that  her 
head  just  appears  above  it.  She  here  deposites  an  ob- 
long substance,  exactly  the  shape  of  her  own  body, 
which  contains  a considerable  number  of  eggs,  arranged 
in  neat  order,  in  rows  against  each  other,  wrhich  remain 


LOCUSTS. 


231 


buried  in  the  ground  most  carefully,  and  artificially  pro- 
tected from  the  cold  of  winter.  When  that  is  over, 
several  male  locusts  surround  and  kill  her.  The  eggs 
are  brought  into  life  by  the  heat  of  the  sun.  If  the 
heats  commence  early,  the  locusts  early  gain  strength ; 
and  it  is  then  that  their  depredations  are  most  feared, 
because  they  commence  them  before  the  corn  has  had 
time  to  ripen,  and  they  attack  the  stem  when  it  is  still 

tender I conjecture  that  ‘ camping  in  the  hedges 

in  the  cold  day’  may  be  explained  by  the  eggs  being  de- 
posited during  the  winter  ; and  ‘ when  the  sun  ariseth 
they  flee  away,’  may  also  be  illustrated  by  the  flying  away 
of  the  insect  as  soon  as  it  has  felt  the  sun’s  influence.” — 
Morier's  Second  Journey  into  Persia , pp.  98-101. 

Nothing  could  be  more  accurate  than  this  description 
of  the  grasshoppers.  I observed  this  appearance  on  a 
journey  from  Constantinople  to  Smyrna  by  land.  Early 
in  the  morning,  the  locusts  were  seen  congregating  in 
the  bushes  by  the  road  side,  in  a close  mass  ; which  it 
would  be  difficult  to  describe  in  better  words  than 
“ camping  in  the  hedges.”  They  appeared  to  be  assem- 
bled with  all  the  precision  of  military  tactics.  But  when 
the  sun  arose  they  fled  away,  and  their  place  was  not 
known  where  they  were. — Rev.  J.  Hartley's  Researches , 

p.  216. 

Joel  i.  4,  12. 

“ That  which  the  palmer- worm  hath  left,  hath  the  lo- 
cust eaten.” 

“ The  vine  is  dried  up,  and  the  fig-tree  languisheth  ; 
the  pomegranate-tree,  the  palm-tree  also,  and  the  apple- 
tree,  even  all  the  trees  in  the  field,  are  withered.” — See 
Exodus  x.  12-15. 

Joel  ii.  2-7,  9,  10. 

“ A day  of  darkness,  and  of  gloominess,  a day  of 
clouds  and  of  thick  darkness,  as  the  morning  spread 
upon  the  mountains  : a great  people  and  a strong ; . . . 
the  land  is  as  the  garden  of  Eden  before  them,  and 


232 


LOCUSTS. 


behind  them  a desolate  wilderness ; yea,  and  nothing 
shall  escape  them.  The  appearance  of  them  is  as  the 
appearance  of  horses ; and  as  horsemen  so  shall  they 
run.  Like  the  noise  of  chariots  on  the  tops  of  mount- 
ains shall  they  leap  ; like  the  noise  of  a flame  of  fire 
that  devoureth  the  stubble,  as  a strong  people  set  in 
battle  array.  Before  their  face  the  people  shall  be  much 
pained  ; all  faces  shall  gather  blackness.  They  shall  run 
like  mighty  men  ; they  shall  climb  the  wall  like  men  of 
war ; and  they  shall  march  every  one  on  his  ways,  and 

they  shall  not  break  their  ranks They  shall  run 

to  and  fro  in  the  city ; they  shall  run  upon  the  wall ; 
they  shall  climb  up  upon  the  houses  ; they  shall  enter  in 

at  the  windows  like  a thief. The  sun  and  the 

moon  shall  be  dark.” 

Revelation  ix.  7,  10. 

“ And  the  shapes  of  the  locusts  were  like  unto  horses 

prepared  unto  battle  ; and  they  had  tails  like  unto 

scorpions.” 

The  ravages  of  the  locust  on  the  fields  of  the  Tar- 
tas,  is  thus  described  : “ Clouds  of  locusts  frequently 
alight  on  their  plains  ; and  giving  the  preference  to  their 
fields  of  millet,  ravage  them  in  an  instant.  Their  ap- 
proach darkens  the  horizon , and  so  enormous  is  their 
multitude,  it  hides  the  light  of  the  sun.  When  the  hus- 
bandmen are  sufficiently  numerous,  they  sometimes  divert 
the  storm,  by  their  agitation  and  their  cries  ; but  when 
they  fail,  the  locusts  alight  on  their  fields,  and  there 
form  a bed  of  six  or  seven  inches  thick.  To  the  noise 
of  their  flight  succeeds  that  of  their  devouring  activity  ; 
it  resembles  the  rattling  of  hail-stones , but  its  conse- 
quences are  infinitely  more  destructive.  Fire  itself  eats 
not  so  fast ; nor  is  there  a vestige  of  vegetation  to  be 
found,  when  they  again  take  their  flight,  and  go  else- 
where to  produce  like  disasters.” — See  Harmer's  Ob- 
servations , vol.  iii.,  p.  305. 

In  Barbary,  in  the  month  of  June,  the  locusts  are  no 


LOCUSTS. 


233 


sooner  hatched  than  they  collect  themselves  into  com - 
pact  bodies , each  a furlong  or  more  square  ; and  marching 
directly  after  they  are  come  to  life,  making  their  way 
toward  the  sea,  and  let  nothing  escape  them  eating  up 
everything  that  is  green  or  juicy  ; not  only  the  lesser 
vegetables,  but  the  vine  likewise,  the  fig-tree,  the  pome- 
granate, the  palm,  and  the  apple-tree,  even  all  the  trees 
of  the  field. 

“ The  quantity  of  these  insects  is  incredible  to  all 
who  have  not  themselves  witnessed  their  astonishing 
numbers  ; the  whole  earth  is  covered  with  them  for  the 
space  of  several  leagues.  The  noise  they  make  in 
browsing  on  the  trees  and  herbage  may  be  heard  at  a 
great  distance,  and  resembles  that  of  an  army  in  secret. 
Wherever  their  myriads  spread,  the  verdure  disappears ; 
trees  and  plants,  stripped  of  their  leaves  and  reduced  to 
their  naked  boughs  and  stems,  cause  the  dreary  image 
of  winter  to  succeed  in  an  instant  to  the  rich  scenery 
of  spring.  When  these  clouds  of  locusts  take  their 
flight,  the  heavens  may  literally  be  said  to  be  obscured 
by  them. 

“ In  their  progress,”  says  Dr.  Shaw,  “ they  kept  their 
ranks  like  men-of-war  ; climbing  over  every  tree  or  wall 
that  was  in  their  way.  Nay  they  entered  into  our  very 
houses  and  bed-chambers,  like  so  many  thieves.  Every 
effort  of  the  inhabitants  to  stop  them  was  unavailing  ; 
the  trenches  they  had  dug  were  quickly  filled  up,  and 
the  fires  they  had  kindled  extinguished,  by  infinite 
swarms  succeeding  each  other.” — Notes  on  Joel  ii.  in 
the  Treasury  Bible. 

The  direction  the  locusts  take  in  their  flight  varies  ; 
the  prophet  who  under  the  similitude  of  these  insects 
described  the  approach  of  the  Chaldean  army,  speaks 
of  them  as  coming  from  the  north , ch.  ii.  20.  Of  the 
dreadful  effluvia  produced  by  the  dead  bodies  of  the 
locusts,  we  can  form  no  idea.  “ I have  often  seen,” 
writes  a traveller,*  “ the  shores  of  the  Pontus  Euxinus 

* The  Baron  de  Tott.  See  his  Memoirs. 

20* 


234 


LOCUSTS. 


covered  with  their  dried  remains,  in  such  multitudes, 
that  one  could  not  walk  along  the  strand  without  sink- 
ing half-leg  deep  into  a bed  of  these  skinny  skeletons. 
Curious  to  know  the  true  cause  of  their  destruction,  I 
sought  the  moment  of  observation,  and  was  a witness 
of  their  ruin  by  a storm,  which  overtook  them  so  near 
the  shore,  that  their  bodies  were  cast  upon  the  land, 
while  yet  entire.  This  produced  an  infection  so  great 
that  it  was  several  days  before  they  could  be  approached. 
Harmer's  Observations , vol  iii.,  pp.  305,  306. 

The  form  of  the  locusts  is  in  the  Book  of  Revelation 
compared  to  that  of  horses  and  likewise  with  the  figures 
of  lions  and  scorpions.  A remarkable  illustration  of 
this  comparison  is  found  in  Neibuhr’s  description  of 
Arabia.  “ I heard,”  he  observes,  “ a particular  com- 
parison of  the  locust  with  other  animals,  from  an  Arab 
of  the  desert,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Bassorah.  As 
the  description  of  the  dreadful  locusts  in  the  Revelation 
did  not  occur  to  me,  I at  first  considered  it  as  a conceit 
of  the  Bedouin,  and  paid  no  attention  to  it,  till  another 
made  the  same  similitude  at  Bagdad.  It  is  the  following  : 
he  compared  the  head  of  the  locust  with  the  head  of  a 
horse ; the  breast  with  that  of  a lion,  the  feet  with  those 
of  a camel,  the  body  with  that  of  a serpent,  and  the  tail 
with  that  of  a scorpion.” — Niebuhr's  Description  de 
VArabie. 

The  reason  why  the  approach  of  the  swarms  of  the 
locusts  is  compared  with  the  morning  spread  upon  the 
mountains,  is  pointed  out  in  the  following  passage  of 
Francis  Alvarez,  a Portuguese  monk,  in  his  travels 
through  Abyssinia. 

“ The  day  before  the  arrival  of  the  locusts,  we  could 
presume  they  were  coming,  from  a yellow  reflection  in 
the  air,  which  proceeded  from  their  yellow  wings.  As 
soon  as  this  reflection  appeared,  nobody  doubted  that  an 
immense  swarms  of  locusts  was  approaching.”  On 
another  occasion  the  same  writer  observes,  that  he  saw 
“ this  phenomenon  so  strong,  that  the  ground  assumed  a 


LOCUSTS. 


235 


yellow  tinge  from  the  reflection.  The  day  after  there 
came  a swarm  of  locusts,  which  according  to  what  we 
heard  afterward,  covered  the  country  for  an  extent  of 
four-and-twenty  Portuguese  miles.” — Rosemuller . 

LOCUSTS  IN  BARBARY. 

Dr.  Shaw  gives  the  following  account  of  the  locusts 
which  he  saw  in  Barbary  in  1724  and  1725. 

They  were  much  bigger  than  our  common  grass- 
hoppers, having  brown  spotted  wings,  with  legs  and 
bodies  of  a bright  yellow.  Their  first  appearance  was 
toward  the  latter  end  of  March,  the  wind  having  been 
for  some  time  southerly  ; and  in  the  middle  of  April 
their  numbers  were  so  vastly  increased,  that  in  the  heat 
of  the  day  they  formed  themselves  into  large  bodies, 
appeared  like  a succession  of  clouds,  and  darkened  the 
sun.  About  the  middle  of  May,  each  of  these  bodies 
began  gradually  to  disappear,  retiring  into  plains  to 
deposite  their  eggs.  Accordingly  in  the  month  following 
their  young  broods  began  gradually  to  make  their  ap- 
pearance, and  it  was  surprising  to  observe  that  no  sooner 
were  any  of  them  hatched,  than  they  immediately  col- 
lected themselves  together,  each  of  them  forming  a 
compact  body  of  several  hundred  yards  square,  which 
marching  afterward  directly  forward,  climbed  over 
trees,  walls,  and  houses,  eat  up  every  plant  in  their  way, 
and  let  nothing  escape  them.  The  inhabitants,  to  stop 
their  progress,  made  trenches  all  over  their  fields  and 
gardens,  and  filled  them  with  water  ; or  else  placing  in  a 
row  great  quantities  of  heath,  stubble  and  such  like 
combustible  matter,  they  set  them  on  fire  upon  the 
approach  of  the  locusts  ; but  all  this  was  to  no  purpose  ; 
for  the  trenches  were  quickly  filled  up,  and  the  fires  put 
out  by  infinite  swarms  succeeding  one  another,  while 
the  front  seemed  regardless  of  danger,  and  the  rear 
passed  on  so  close  that  a retreat  was  impossible.  A day 


236 


LOCUSTS  IN  BAREARY. 


or  two  after  one  of  these  bodies  was  in  motion,  others 
were  already  hatched  to  glean  after  them  ; gnawing  off 
the  young  branches,  and  the  very  bark  of  such  trees  as 
had  escaped  before  with  the  loss  only  of  their  fruit  and 
foliage.  So  justly  has  the  inspired  writer  compared 
them  to  a great  army,  and  observed  that  the  land  is  as 
the  garden  of  Eden  before  them,  and  behind  them  a 
desolate  wilderness. 

Having  in  this  manner  lived  nearly  a month  upon  the 
ruin  and  destruction  of  everything  green  and  juicy,  they 
arrived  at  their  full  growth,  and  threw  off  their  worm- 
like state  by  casting  their  skins  ; to  prepare  themselves 
for  the  change,  they  clung  by  their  hinder  feet  to  some 
bush,  twig,  or  corner  of  a stone  ; when  immediately  by 
an  undulating  motion  used  upon  the  occasion,  their 
heads  would  first  appear,  and  soon  after  the  rest  of  their 
bodies. 

The  whole  transformation  was  performed  in  seven  or 
eight  minutes,  after  which  they  lay  for  a short  time  in  a 
languishing  condition ; but  as  soon  as  the  sun  and  air 
had  hardened  their  wings,  and  dried  up  the  moisture 
that  remained  upon  them  after  the  casting  of  their 
sloughs,  they  returned  again  to  their  former  voracity, 
with  an  addition  both  of  strength  and  agility.  But  they 
continued  not  long  in  this  state  before  they  were  entirely 
dispersed,  as  their  parents  had  been  before,  after  the 
laying  of  their  eggs  ; and  as  the  direction  of  the  marches 
and  flights  of  them  both  was  always  to  the  northward, 
it  is  probable  they  perished  in  the  sea ; a grave  which, 
according  to  these  people,  they  have  only  in  common 
with  other  winged  creatures. 

These  insects,  sprinkled  with  salt  and  fried,  are  in 
taste  not  unlike  the  river  cray-fish.  The  Jews  were 
allowed  to  eat  them,  and  it  was  upon  these  that  John 
the  Baptist  fed  in  the  wilderness. — Dr.  Shaw’s  Travels , 
p.  256. 


FLIES. 


237 


FLIES. 

2 Kings  i.  2. 

“ Baal-zebub,  the  god  of  Ekron.” 

The  name  Baal-zebub  signifies,  Lord  of  the  fly ; and 
to  this  idol  the  property  of  driving  away  flies  was  attrib- 
uted. Flies  in  some  parts  are  extremely  destructive. 
The  army  of  Richard  the  First,  when  in  the  Holy  Land 
rather  near  Hebron,  “ were  assailed  by  a most  minute 
kind  of  fly,  flying  about  like  sparks.  With  these  the 
whole  neighboring  region  round  about  was  filled. 
These  most  wretchedly  infested  the  pilgrims,  piercing 
with  great  smartness  the  hands,  necks,  throats,  fore- 
heads, and  faces,  and  every  part  of  the  body  that  was 
uncovered  ; a most  violent  burning  tumor  following  the 
punctures  made  by  them,  so  that  all  that  they  stung 
looked  like  lepers.  They  could  hardly  guard  themselves 
from  this  most  troublesome  vexation,  by  covering  their 
heads  and  necks  with  veils. — See  Harmer's  Observa- 
tions, vol.  iii.,  p.  310. 

LOCUST-TREE. 

Luke  xv.  16. 

And  he  would  fain  have  filled  his  belly  with  the 
husks  that  the  swine  did  eat.” 

The  locust-tree  is  a bushy,  wide-spreading  evergreen, 
which  attains  the  size  of  a forest-tree,  and  produces  a 
pod  resembling  a gigantic  kidney-bean.  This  is  of  a 
sweet  flavor,  and  when  dressed  by  the  Moors  makes  a 
dish  by  no  means  unpleasant  to  the  taste.  It  is,  how- 
ever, both  in  Barbary  and  Spain,  more  generally  used 
for  feeding  cattle.  These  pods  are  supposed  to  be 
alluded  to  in  the  parable  of  the  prodigal  son,  “ the  husks 
that  the  swine  did  eat.” — See  Brooke's  Travels  in 
Spain , $$c. 


238 


SALT, 


d 


SALT. 


Mark  ix.  50. 

“ Have  salt  in  yourselves.” 

In  the  interior  countries  of  Africa  the  greatest  luxury 
is  salt : a child  there  sucks  a piece  of  rock-salt  as  if  it 
were  sugar.  The  poorer  classes  of  the  inhabitants  are, 
however,  so  very  rarely  indulged  with  this  precious 
article  that  to  say  a man  eats  salt  with  his  food,  is  the 
same  as  saying  he  is  a rich  man.  The  long  use  of 
vegetable  food  creates  so  painful  a longing  for  salt,  that 
no  words  can  sufficiently  describe  it. — Park's  Travels. 


239 


CHAPTER  XY. 


Climate — Effect  of  Moonlight — Heat  and  Cold — Frost  and  Snow 

— Hail-Storms — Wet  Seasons — Rains — Signs  of  Rain — Dry 

Summer — The  Simoom — W ater-Spouts — Whirlwinds. 

MOONLIGHT. 

Psalm  cxxi.  6. 

“ The  sun  shall  not  smite  thee  by  day,  nor  the  moon 
by  night.” 

The  burning  heat  of  the  sun  in  Eastern  climates  is 
well  known  ; but  the  injurious  effect  of  moonlight  is  not 
so  generally  thought  of. 

Moonlight  in  the  East  is  peculiarly  clear  and  lovely. 
A traveller  in  Egypt  says  : “ It  is  delightful  to  rise  by 
night  and  walk  there  in  the  brilliant  moonlight,  which 
has  the  appearance  of  a tranquil  and  beautiful  day — 
you  can  see  to  read  with  perfect  ease.”  Speaking  of  his 
voyage  down  the  Nile,  the  same  gentleman  remarks  : 
“ Nothing  could  be  more  lovely  than  to  glide  along  at 
night  in  the  calm,  cloudless  moonlight — amid  such 
scenery  it  was  difficult  to  close  one’s  eyes  in  sleep.” 
But  delightful  as  it  is,  it  is  most  prejudicial  to  those 
who  venture  to  repose  in  the  open  air,  without  covering 
their  faces.  Thus  the  same  traveller  continues  : “ The 
effect  of  the  moonlight  on  the  eyes  in  this  country  is 
singularly  injurious  ; the  natives  tell  you,  as  I found 
they  also  afterward  did  in  Arabia,  always  to  cover  your 
eyes  when  you  sleep  in  the  open  air.  The  moon  here 
really  strikes  and  affects  the  sight,  more  than  the  sun, 
when  you  sleep  exposed  to  it ; a fact  of  which  I had  a 
very  unpleasant  proof  one  night,  and  took  care  to  guard 
against  afterward.  Indeed  the  sight  of  a person  who 


240 


MOONLIGHT. 


should  sleep  with  his  face  exposed  at  night  would  soon 
be  utterly  impaired  or  destroyed.” — Carrie's  Eastern 
Letters,  pp.  77-83. 

HEAT  AND  COLD. 

Genesis  xxxi.  40. 

“ In  the  day  the  drought  consumed  me,  and  the  frost 
oy  night.” 

The  spring  and  summer  nights  are  so  cold  in  the 
Holy  Land,  that  fires  are  occasionally  necessary,  even 
in  May  : which  accounts  for  the  people  who  went  to 
Gethsemane  to  apprehend  our  Lord,  making  a fire  of 
coals  at  the  time  of  the  passover,  earlier  in  the  year 
than  May.  A traveller  mentions  sitting  by  a fire  in  a 
little  ruined  building  somewhere  in  Galilee,  on  the  night 
of  May  8th  ; and  in  May,  June,  and  even  July,  furred 
garments  are  frequently  worn  in  the  evenings  by  trav- 
ellers in  the  East.  It  is  also  very  common  for  days 
intensely  hot,  to  be  followed  by  as  cold  nights.  Mr. 
Biddulph,  chaplain  to  the  English  factory  at  Aleppo, 
expressed  surprise  at  finding  the  weather  so  warm  at 
Jerusalem,  at  the  same  time  of  the  year  that  he  was 
there,  when  those  who  had  been  out  in  the  night  to  seize 
our  Lord  wanted  a fire.  It  seemed  strange  to  him  that 
Peter  should  have  crept  to  the  fire,  when  he  could  not 
endure  the  heat  of  the  sun.  But  after  being  there  a 
few  days,  and  feeling  the  changes  from  heat  to  cold 
which  constantly  occur,  his  wonder  ceased.  Another 
traveller,  passing  through  Mesopotamia  (where  Jacob 
was),  found  the  heat  so  oppressive,  that  though  he  wore 
upon  his  head  a great  black  handkerchief,  after  the 
manner  of  Eastern  travellers,  yet  his  forehead  was  so 
scorched  as  to  swell  exceedingly,  and  the  skin  came  off. 
His  hands,  too,  were  continually  scorched.  Another 
records  that,  having  travelled  in  Arabia  and  Mesopo- 
tamia, both  in  winter  and  summer,  he  had  found  the 


HEAT  AND  COLD. 


241 


truth  of  what  the  patriarch  said,  that  in  the  day  he  was 
scorched  with  heat,  and  stiffened  with  cold  in  the  night. 
— See  Harmer's  Observations , vol.  i.,  pp.  125,  note, 
131-134,  181  ; and  Appendix  to  Came9  s Eastern  Let- 
ters. 


FROST  AND  SNOW. 

Psalm  cxlvii.  16,  17. 

“ He  giveth  snow  like  wool,  he  scattereth  the  hoar- 
frost like  ashes  ; he  casteth  forth  his  ice  like  morsels  : 
who  can  stand  before  his  cold  V9  See  Ezra  x.  9 ; Matt, 
xxiv.  20. 

The  frost  and  snow  are  in  some  winters  very  severe 
in  Jerusalem,  and  other  parts  of  Judea,  and  rain  and 
snow  fall  sometimes  in  great  quantities.  When  King 
Richard  was  approaching  Jerusalem  with  his  army  in 
the  winter  (during  his  war  against  the  Saracens),  we 
read  that  “ Most  heavy  rains  fell,  and  the  air  was  very 
severe,  so  that  very  many  of  their  beasts  perished  ; that 
the  rains,  storms  of  hail,  and  winds,  were  so  vehement, 
that  the  stakes  of  their  tents  were  torn  up,  and  carried 
to  a distance  ; and  that  by  the  extremity  of  the  cold  and 
wet  their  horses  perished,  and  the  greater  part  of  their 
food  was  spoiled.”  The  snow  in  some  Eastern  countries 
falls  in  flakes  as  big  as  walnuts,  and  in  the  mountainous 
districts  of  Arabia  by  the  Dead  sea,  there  have  been 
dreadful  storms  of  hail,  snow,  and  rain,  and  also  quan- 
tities of  ice,  so  that  David  might  well  say,  “ he  giveth 
his  snow  like  wool,  he  scattereth  the  hoar-frost  like 
ashes  ; he  casteth  forth  his  ice  like  morsels  : who  can 
stand  before  his  cold  V9 

In  an  ancient  account  of  the  defeat  of  some  Turkish 
troops  in  the  neighborhood  of  Askalon,  during  the 
winter,  it  is  said,  “ They  for  haste  threw  away  their 
armor  and  cloths,  but  so  sunk  under  the  cold,  with 
21 


242 


FROST  AND  SNOW. 


want  of  food,  tediousness  of  the  ways,  and  greatness  of 
the  fatigue,  that  they  were  daily  taken  captives  in  the 
woods,  mountains,  and  wilderness,  and  sometimes  threw 
themselves  in  the  way  of  their  enemies,  rather  than 
perish  through  cold  and  want."”  What  a striking  com- 
ment upon  our  Savior’s  words  : “ Pray  ye  that  your 
flight  be  not  in  the  winter  /”■ — Harmer’s  Observations, 
vol.  L,  pp.  111-114,  note,  119,  120. 

Ezekiel  xxxiii.  30. 

“ The  children  of  thy  people  still  are  talking  against 
thee  [rather  concerning  thee]  by  the  walls,  and  in  the 
doors  of  the  houses.” 

Severe,  however,  as  the  cold  is  in  these  countries, 
yet  even  in  the  depth  of  winter  when  the  sun  is  out, 
and  there  is  no  wind,  it  is  always  warm  in  the  open  air, 
and  the  people  enjoy  it ; the  Coptics  spending  their  holy- 
days  in  sauntering  about,  sitting  under  walls  in  winter, 
and  under  shady  trees  in  summer  ; while  the  better  sort 
of  Eastern  houses  have  porches  or  gateways,  with 
benches  on  each  side,  where  the  master  of  the  family 
receives  visits,  and  transacts  business  ; and  as  it  was 
winter,  the  tenth  month,  answering  to  the  latter  end  of 
December,  when  the  Israelites  talked  about  Ezekiel, 
they  sat  under  the  wall  for  the  benefit  of  the  sun, 
rather  than  under  trees  to  avoid  its  heat ; while  the 
richer  among  them  sat  in  their  porches,  or  gateways,  in 
one  of  which  an  English  traveller  found  a distinguished 
person  sitting  (in  Egypt),  the  29th  or  30th  of  December. 
— Harmer’s  Observations,  vol.  i.,  pp.  120-122. 

HAIL-STORMS. 

Exodus  ix.  23-25. 

“ And  Moses  stretched  forth  his  rod  toward  heaven ; 
and  the  Lord  sent  thunder  and  hail,  and  the  fire  ran 


HAIL-STORMS. 


243 


along  the  ground : and  the  Lord  rained  hail  upon  the 
land  of  Egypt.  So  there  was  hail,  and  fire  mingled 
with  the  hail,  very  grievous  ....  And  the  hail  smote 
throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt  all  that  was  in  the 
field,  both  man  and  beast : and  the  hail  smote  every  herb 
of  the  field,  and  brake  every  tree  of  the  field.  See 
Psalm  cv.  32  ; Ixxviii.  47,  48. 

Joshua  x.  11. 

“ The  Lord  cast  down  great  stories  from  heaven  upon 
them  unto  Azekah,  and  they  died  ; they  were  more 
which  died  with  hail-stones,  than  they  whom  the  children 
of  Israel  slew  with  the  sword.” 


“ On  the  8th  of  February,”  says  Sir  R.  Wilson,  in 
his  History  of  the  Expedition  to  Egypt , “ commenced 
the  most  violent  thunder  and  hailstorm  ever  remem- 
bered, and  which  continued  two  days  and  nights  inter- 


244 


HAIL-STORMS. 


mittingly.  The  hail,  or  rather  the  ice-stones,  were  as 
big  as  large  walnuts.” 

Diodorus  Siculus  mentions  a storm  of  hail  which 
happened  at  Rhodes  in  the  spring  of  the  year  316 
before  Christ,  when  the  hailstones  were  upward  of  a 
pound  in  weight,  and  the  houses  were  thrown  down  by 
the  weight  of  them. — Note,  Dr.  Clarke’s  Travels , vol. 
iii.,  p.  347. 

WET  SEASONS. 

Job  xxix.  2,  4, 19, 20. 

“ Oh  that  I were  as  in  months  past,  as  in  the  days 
when  God  preserved  me  ; as  I was  in  the  days  of  my 
youth!  (rather  of  my  winter).  My  root  was  spread 
out  by  the  waters,  and  the  dew  lay  all  night  upon  my 
branch  ; my  glory  was  fresh  in  me.” 

The  Hebrew  word  which  is  here  rendered  winter , 
seems  rather  to  mean,  the  wet  season ; for  as  the  sum- 
mers of  the  Holy  Land  are  perfectly  dry,  its  winters 
are  wet.  Job  refers  to  the  days  of  his  moist  time , not 
to  the  days  of  his  disgrace,  the  days  in  which  he  was 
stripped  of  his  ornaments,  as  an  herb  of  its  leaves  and 
flowers  in  winter  but  when  he  was  like  a plant  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  rainy  season  (before  the  violent  heats 
and  drought  of  summer  scorched  and  burnt  up  every- 
thing), green  and  flourishing. — Harmer’s  Observations , 
vol.  i.,  p.  107. 

RAINS. 

Luke  vi.  49. 

i 

“ But  he  that  heareth,  and  doeth  not,  is  like  a man 
that  without  a foundation  built  a house  upon  the  earth 
against  which  the  stream  did  beat  vehemently,  and  im- 
mediately it  fell ; and  the  ruin  of  that  house  was  great.” 


RAINS. 


245 


Though  the  returns  of  rain  in  the  Holy  Land  are 
not  extremely  frequent,  yet  when  it  does  rain,  the  water 
is  wont  to  pour  down  with  great  violence  three  or  four 
days  and  nights  together,  enough  to  drown  the  whole 
country.  Such  violent  rains,  in  a hilly  country  espe- 
cially, like  Judea,  must  occasion  inundations  very  dan- 
gerous to  buildings  that  happen  to  be  placed  within  their 
reach,  by  washing  away  the  soil  from  under  them,  and 
occasioning  their  fall.  The  violent  rains  at  Aleppo  in 
Syria  often  wash  down  stone-walls  ; and  in  the  Cas- 
tr avan  mountains,  a hamlet  with  fig- garden,  &c.,  was 
suddenly  removed  to  a great  distance.  Maundrell 
actually  saw  the  tracts  of  several  torrents,  down  the 
side  of  the  hills  of  the  Holy  Land.  He  also  describes 
that  country  as  extremely  hilly,  but  as  covered  fre- 
quently with  a thin  coat  of  earth,  circumstances  which 
complete  the  illustration  of  our  Savior’s  words,  and 
teach  us  how  to  understand  building  on  the  sand,  or 
loose  soil ; and  the  wise  man’s  digging  down  to  the 
rock,  before  he  laid  his  foundation. — Harmer's  Obser- 
vations, vol.  i.,  pp.  137-140. 

EARLY  AND  LATTER  RAINS. 

Joel  ii.  23. 

“ Be  glad  then,  ye  children  of  Zion,  and  rejoice  in 
the  Lord  your  God  ; for  he  hath  given  you  the  former 
rain  moderately,  and  he  will  cause  to  come  down  for  you 
the  rain,  the  former  rain,  and  the  latter  rain.” 

Proverbs  xvi.  15. 

“ [The  king’s  favor]  is  as  a cloud  of  the  latter  rain.” 
Deuteronomy  xi.  13,  14. 

“ And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  if  ye  shall  hearken  dili- 
gently unto  my  commandments,  . . , . that  I will  give 
you  the  rain  of  your  land  in  his  due  season,  the  first 
rain,  and  the  latter  rain,  that  thou  mayest  gather  in  thy 
ciorn,  and  thy  wine,  and  thine  oiL” 

21* 


246 


EARLY  AND  LATTER  RAINS. 


Hosea  vi.  3. 

“He  shall  come  unto  us  as  the  rain,  as  the  latter  and 
former  rain  unto  the  earth.” 

Amos  iv.  7,  8. 

“ Also  I have  withholden  the  rain  from  you  when 
there  were  yet  three  months  to  the  harvest : and  I caused 
it  to  rain  upon  one  city,  and  caused  it  not  to  rain  upon 
another  city.  One  piece  was  rained  upon,  and  the  piece 
whereupon  it  rained  not  withered.  So  two  or  three 
cities  wandered  unto  one  city,  to  drink  water,  but  they 
were  not  satisfied.” 

Where  the  rain  falls  as  it  does  with  us,  there  is  no 
notion  of  early  and  latter  rains  ; but  nothing  is  more 
natural  than  this  distinction  in  such  a country  as  Pales- 
tine, where  the  summer’s  drought  is  terminated  by  heavy 
showers,  continuing  some  days  ; after  which  there  is  an 
interval  of  fine  weather,  and  then  showers  fall  again  ; 
and  these  probably  are  the  latter  rains  mentioned  in 
Scripture.  The  early  ox  former  rains  in  the  Holy  Land 
fall  about  the  middle  of  October,  or  the  beginning  of 
November.  The  seed-time,  the  latter  rains  in  April.  If 
the  latter  rains  fall  in  the  middle  of  April  (says  Dr. 
Shaw),  the  crop  is  reckoned  secure. 

Beside  the  rains  of  April,  there  are  also  those  oi 
the  beginning  of  February,  and  to  these  latter  the  proph- 
et Amos  appears  to  allude.  From  them  are  derived  the 
hopes  of  a plentiful  year,  for  “ It  is  an  observation,” 
writes  Dr.  Shaw,  “ at  or  near  Jerusalem,  that  provided 
a moderate  quantity  of  snow,  or  rain,  falls  in  the  begin- 
ning of  February*  and  the  fountains  overflow  a little 
afterward,  there  is  the  prospect  of  a fruitful  and  plen- 
tiful year  : the  inhabitants  making,  upon  these  occasions, 
the  like  rejoicings  with  the  Egyptians  upon  the  cutting 
of  the  Nile.” 

The  harvest  at  Aleppo  in  Syria  follows  in  three 
months  after  these  rains  of  February,  the  withholding 


EARLY  AND  LATTER  RAINS. 


247 


of  which  the  prophet  speaks  of  as  a signal  judgment ; 
and  he  declares  further,  that  the  rain  was  suspended 
not  only  to  punish  them  with  want  of  bread,  but  with 
thirst  also ; for  in  these  countries,  excepting  a few 
fountains,  they  have  only  cistern  water,  so  that  if  God 
in  anger  suspended  the  rains,  there  was  more  danger  of 
perishing  by  thirst,  than  by  famine.  On  the  other  hand, 
God  promises  to  give  the  former  and  the  latter  rains  to 
his  obedient  children,  as  the  greatest  of  temporal  bles- 
sings, “ that  ye  may  gather  in  your  corn,  and  your  wine, 
and  your  oil ; that  ye  may  eat  and  be  full.”  (Deut. 
xi.  14.)  He  even  likens  the  blessings  of  his  grace  to 
this  blessing  of  his  providence,  assuring  his  people  that 
if  they  would  seek  his  face,  he  would  come  unto  them 
as  the  “ latter  and  former  rain  unto  the  earth” — Harmer's 
Observations,  vol.  i.,  pp.  140-150. 


SIGNS  OF  RAIN. 

2 Kings  iii.  17. 

“Ye  shall  not  see  wind , neither  shall  ye  see  rain.” 

1 Kings  xviii.  45. 

“ The  heaven  was  black  with  clouds  and  wind,  and 
there  was  a great  rain.” 

Proverbs  xxv.  14. 

“ Whoso  boasteth  himself  of  a false  gift  [pretends 
he  will  bestow  a gift  and  does  not  do  so]  is  like  clouds 
and  winds  without  rain.” 

Psalm  cxxxv.  7 ; Jeremiah  x.  13. 

“ He  causeth  the  vapors  [clouds]  to  ascend  from  the 
ends  of  the  earth  ; he  maketh  lightnings  for  the  rain ; 
he  bringeth  the  wind  out  of  his  treasuries . When  he 

uttereth  his  voice,  there  is  a multitude  * of  waters  in 
the  heavens  ” 


* Or  noise,  see  margin . 


248 


SIGNS  OF  RAIN. 


1 Kings  xviii.  44,  45. 

“And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  seventh  time,  that  he 
said,  Behold  there  ariseth  a little  cloud  out  of  the  sea, 
like  a man’s  hand.  And  he  said,  ‘ Go  up,  say  unto 
Ahab,  Prepare  thy  chariot,  and  get  thee  down,  that  the 
rain  stop  thee  not.’  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  mean- 
time, that  the  heaven  was  black  with  clouds  and  wind, 
and  there  was  a great  rain.” 

Rain  in  the  East  is  often  preceded  by  squalls  of 
wind,  which  take  up  such  quantities  of  sand  from  the 
desert  as  quite  darken  the  sky.  In  the  city  of  Aleppo, 
in  Syria,  seldom  a night  passes  during  the  month  of 
September,  without  much  lightning  in  the  northwest 
quarter ; but  not  attended  with  thunder.  When  this 
lightning  appears  in  the  west,  or  southwest,  it  is  accom- 
panied with  thunder,  and  is  a sure  sign  of  approaching 
rain.  Thus  does  God  make  lightnings  for  the  rain ; 
the  squalls  of  wind  bring  on  these  refreshing  showers  ; 
and  are  therefore  called  precious  things  of  the  treasuries 
of  God  ; and  when  he  thunders,  it  is  the  noise  of  waters 
in  the  heavens.  With  respect  to  the  cloud  Elijah  saw, 
it  is  mentioned  by  Mr.  Bruce  in  his  Travels , when  he 
says  : “ Every  morning  about  nine,  a small  cloud,  not 
above  four  feet  broad,  appears  in  the  East,  whirling 
violently  round,  as  if  upon  an  axis  ; but  when  arrived 
nearly  over  head,  it  first  abates  its  motion,  then  loses  its 
form,  and  extends  itself  greatly,  and  seems  to  call  up 
vapors  from  all  opposite  quarters.  These  clouds  having 
attained  nearly  the  same  height,  rush  against  each  other 
with  great  violence,  and  put  me  always  in  mind  of  Elijah 
foretelling  rain  on  Mount  Carmel.” 

A clergyman  in  Suffolk  “ saw  a cloud  like  a marts 
hand , on  a high  hill  at  Beachborough,  in  Kent,  and  im- 
mediately a violent  shower  followed.” 

Dr.  Adam  Clarke  writes,  “ I have  often  seen  this 
repeated  several  times  a day  in  the  English  channel. 
A cloud,  about  the  size  of  a man's  hand , first  appeared ; 


SIGNS  OF  RAIN. 


249 


this  gradually  increased  till  the  whole  heavens  were 
robed  in  black , and  a dreadful  storm,  ensued.  When  all 
again  seemed  comparatively  clear,  the  appearance  of  the 
hand-like  cloud  was  the  sure  forerunner  of  another 
storm.” — Harmed s Observations , vol.  i.,  pp.  160,  173, 
174;  101,  note. 


Ecclesiastes  xi.  4. 

“He  that  observeth  the  wind  shall  not  sow,  and  he 
that  regardeth  the  clouds  shall  not  reap.” 

Ploughing  and  sowing  were  sometimes  practised  in 
the  East  in  expectation  of  rain.  It  was  therefore  natural 
for  the  laborer  to  wait  till  he  saw  the  signs  of  its 
approach,  particularly  the  blowing  of  the  wind  that  was 
wont  to  bring  it. — Harmer's  Observations , vol.  i.,  p. 
97. 

DRY  SUMMERS. 

Psalm  xxxii.  4. 

“ My  moisture  is  turned  into  the  drought  of  summer.” 

In  England  and  in  its  neighboring  countries  it  is 
common  for  rain  to  fall  in  all  months  of  the  year.  But 
in  the  East,  rain  indiscriminately  in  the  winter  months, 
and  none  at  all  in  the  summer,  is  what  is  most  usual. 
In  Judea,  thunder  and  lightning,  which  generally  occur 
with  us  in  summer,  happen  in  winter  ; when  also  the 
rains,  after  they  begin  to  fall,  pour  down  for  three  or 
four  days  and  nights  together  as  vehemently  as  if  they 
would  drown  the  country.  On  the  other  hand,  in 
summer  it  hardly  ever  rains,  and  it  is  to  the  withered 
appearance  which  nature  then  wears,  that  David  refers 
when  he  says,  “ My  moisture  is  turned  into  the  drought 
of  summer.” — See  Harmer's  Observations , vol  i.,  p. 
75. 


250 


THE  SIMOOM. 


THE  SIMOOM. 

Isaiah  xxi.  1. 

“ As  whirlwinds  in  the  south  pass  through  ; so  it  com- 
eth  from  the  desert,  from  a terrible  land.” 

Proverbs  i.  27. 

“ When  your  destruction  cometh  as  a whirlwind.” 
Isaiah  xxxvii.  36. 

“ The  angel  [messenger  or  agent]  of  the  Lord  went 
forth,  and  smote  in  the  camp  of  the  Assyrians  a hun- 
dred and  fourscore  and  five  thousand.” 

Whirlwinds  usually  arise  from  the  south,  and  the 
more  southern  countries  in  the  East  are  most  liable  to 
them.  A traveller,  giving  an  account  of  the  danger 
there  is  of  losing  one’s  way  in  the  deserts  between 
Egypt  and  Nubia,  writes,  “ It  is  infinitely  greater  when 
the  south  wind  blows.”  It  dries  up  the  goat-skins  filled 
with  water,  stifles  on  the  spot  those  who  breathe  in  it ; 
so  that  to  guard  against  its  defects,  they  are  obliged  to 
throw  themselves  on  the  ground  instantly,  with  their 
face  close  to  the  burning  sands,  and  to  cover  their  heads 
with  some  cloth  or  carpet,  lest  they  should  breathe  the 
wind,  and  perish. 

Sometimes,  too,  it  raises  up  large  quantities  of  sand 
with  a whirling  motion,  which  darkening  the  eye,  renders 
it  impossible  for  the  guides  to  perceive  the  way,  so  that 
whole  caravans  have  been  buried  beneath  it.  The 
camels  alone  give  notice  of  its  approach,  by  making  a 
noise,  and  burying  their  mouth  and  nostrils  in  the 
sand,  and  whoever  imitates  them  escapes  destruction. 
Mr.  Bruce  thus  describes  this  pestilential  wind,  which 
is  called  “the  simoom.”  “We  had  no  sooner  got  into 
the  plains,  than  w^e  felt  great  symptoms  of  the  simoom, 
and  about  a quarter  before  twelve,  our  prisoner  first, 
and  then  Idris,  called  out  ‘ The  simoom  ! the  simoom  !’ 


THE  SIMOOM, 


251 


My  curiosity  made  me  look  behind  me  ; about  due  south , 
a little  to  the  east,  I saw  the  colored  haze  as  before. 
It  seemed  now  to  be  rather  less  compressed,  and  to  have 
with  it  a shade  of  blue  : the  edges  of  it  were  like  a very 


thin  smoke.  We  all  fell  on  our  faces,  and  the  simoom 
passed,  with  a gentle  ruffling  wind.  It  continued  to  blow 
thus  till  nearly  three  o’clock : so  that  we  were  all  taken 
ill  that  night,  and  strength  was  hardly  left  us  to  load 


252 


THE  SIMOOM. 


the  camels  and  arrange  the  baggage.”  The  army  of 
Sennacherib  was  doubtless  destroyed  by  such  a pesti- 
lential wind.  It  is  often  instantaneously  fatal,  and  the 
word  “ angel’1  is  expressly  called  in  the  original  in  verse 
7,  a blast , or  wind. — Harmer’s  Observations , vol.  i.,  pp. 
152-165  ; Bruce’s  Travels. 


2 Kings  xix.  26. 

“ They  were  ....  as  corn  blasted  before  it  be  grown 
up.” 

Psalm  ciii.  16. 

“ The  wind  passeth  over  it  [the  grass]  and  it  is  gone.” 

We  remained  encamped  at  Bushire  (writes  Morier), 
until  the  27th  of  March,  during  which  time  we  expe- 
rienced one  of  the  discomforts  of  a tented  life,  in  a gale 
of  wind  that  blew  from  the  southward  and  eastward, 
with  such  violence,  that  three  of  our  largest  tents  were 
levelled  with  the  ground.  The  wind  brought  with  it 
such  hot  currents  of  air,  that  we  thought  it  might  be 
the  precursor  of  the  “ samoun”  (simoom) ; but  upon 
inquiry,  we  found  that  the  autumn  was  generally  the 
season  for  that  wind.  The  “ sam”  wind  commits  great 
ravages  in  this  district,  and  is  hurtful  to  vegetation.  It 
blows  at  night,  from  about  midnight  to  sunrise,  and 
comes  in  a hot  blast,  and  is  afterward  succeeded  by  a 
cold  one.  About  six  years  ago  there  was  a “ sam” 
during  the  summer  months,  which  so  totally  burnt  up 
all  the  corn,  then  near  its  maturity,  that  no  animal 
would  eat  a blade  of  it,  or  touch  any  of  its  grain.  The 
image  of  corn  blasted  before  it  be  grown  up,  used  by 
the  sacred  historian,  was  most  probably  taken  from  a 
cause  similar  to  what  has  just  been  stated,  and  the 
allusion  is  also  perhaps  to  the  pestilential  wind,  when 
the  prophet  says  in  [the  same  chapter]  “ I will  send  a 


THE  SIMOOM. 


253 


blast  upon  him.  In  the  Psalms,  we  read  of  the  wind 
that  passeth  over  the  grass,  and  it  is  gone. — See  Mv- 
r lev's  Second  Journey  through  Persia , fyc.,  pp.  42,  43- 


WATER-SPOUTS. 

Psalm  xlii.  7. 

“ Deep  calleth  unto  deep  at  the  noise  of  thy  water- 
spouts ; all  thy  waves  and  thy  billows  have  gone  over 
me.” 

The  following  is  an  account  of  the  first  water-spout 
seen  by  the  Spaniards  on  the  coast  of  America  : — 

“ The  sea  ran  in  mountain-waves,  covered  with  foam. 
For  a day  and  a night  the  heavens  glowed  like  a furnace, 
with  incessant  flashes  of  lightning  : while  the  loud  claps 
of  thunder  were  often  mistaken  by  the  mariners  for 
signal  guns  of  distress  from  their  foundering  companions. 
During  the  whole  time  there  was  such  a deluge  of  rain, 
that  the  seamen  were  almost  overwhelmed.  In  the 
midst  of  this  wild  tumult  of  the  elements,  they  beheld  a 
new  object  of  alarm.  The  ocean  in  one  place  became 
strangely  agitated  ; the  water  was  whirled  up  into  a kind 
of  pyramid,  or  cone,  while  a livid  cloud  tapering  to  a 
point,  bent  down  to  meet  it.  Joining  together,  they 
formed  a column,  which  rapidly  approached  the  ships, 
spinning  along  the  surface  of  the  deep,  and  drawing  up 
the  waters  with  a rushing  sound.  The  water-spout 
passed  close  by  the  ships  without  injuring  them. — Life 
of  Columbus. 

On  the  afternoon  of  June  21, 1702,  about  two  o'clock, 
at  Hatfield,  no  wind  stirring  below,  though  it  was  some- 
what great  in  the  air,  the  clouds  began  to  be  much 
agitated  and  driven  together  ; on  which  they  became  very 
black,  and  were  very  visibly  hurried  round,  whence 
there  proceeded  a most  audible  whirling  noise,  like  that 
of  a mill.  After  a while  a long  tube  or  spout  came 
22 


254 


WATER-SPOUTS 


down  from  the  centre  of  the  congregated  clouds,  in 
which  was  a swift  spiral  motion  like  that  of  a screw, 
when  it  is  in  motion.  It  proceeded  slowly  from  west 
to  northeast,  broke  down  a great  oak-tree  or  two, 
frightened  the  weeders  out  of  the  field,  and  made  others 
lie  down  flat,  to  avoid  being  whirled  about  and  killed,  as 
they  saw  several  jackdaws  had  been,  which  were  sudden- 
ly snatched  up,  carried  out  of  sight,  and  then  thrown  a 
great  way  off  among  the  corn.  At  length  it  passed 


over  the  town  of  Hatfield  to  the  great  terror  of  the 
inhabitants,  filling  the  whole  air  with  the  thatch  it  took 
off  from  some  of  the  houses  ; then  touching  on  a corner 
of  the  church,  it  tore  up  several  sheets  of  lead,  and 
rolled  them  together  in  a strange  manner  ; soon  after 
which,  it  dissolved  and  vanished,  without  doing  any 
further  mischief. — Clarke's  Readings  in  Philosophy. 


WHIRLWINDS, 


255 


WHIRLWINDS. 

Isaiah  xl.  24. 

“ The  whirlwind  shall  take  them  away  as  stubble.” 
Isaiah  xvii.  13. 

“ God  shall  rebuke  them,  and  they  shall  flee  far  off, 
and  shall  be  chased  as  the  chaff  of  the  mountains  before 
the  wind,  and  like  a rolling  thing  before  the  whirlwind.” 


Psalm  lxxxiii.  14. 

“ Oh,  my  God,  make  them  like  a wheel ; as  the  stubble 
before  the  wind.” 

“ While  we  were  encamped  at  the  village  of  Has- 
sanabad,”  writes  Mr.  Morier,  “ a violent  wind  arose 


256 


WHIRLWINDS. 


from  the  eastward.  It  prevailed  from  the  morning  to 
about  two  o’clock,  P.  M.,  when  it  changed  about  to  the 
westward.  At  the  time  of  the  change,  whirlwinds  were 
to  be  seen  in  different  parts  of  the  plain,  sweeping  along 
the  country  in  different  directions,  in  a manner  that  was 
quite  frightful  to  behold.  They  carried  away  in  their 
vortex,  sand,  branches,  and  the  stubble  of  the  fields,  * 
and  really  appeared  to  make  a communication  between 
the  earth  and  the  clouds.  The  correctness  of  the 
imagery  used  by  the  prophet  Isaiah,  when  he  alludes  to 
this  phenomenon,  is  very  striking  to  the  Eastern  travel- 
ler ; and  when  we  read  in  the  Psalms,  4 Make  them  like 
a wheel,  as  the  stubble  before  the  wind this  also  is 
happily  illustrated  by  the  rotary  action  of  the  whirlwind, 
which  frequently  impels  a bit  of  stubble  over  a waste, 
just  like  a wheel  set  in  rapid  motion.” — Moneys  Second 
Journey  through  Persia , c^-c.,  p.  202. 


257 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Modern  Tartars — Predatory  Character  of  the  Arabs  — their 
Mode  of  dwelling  and  of  flight  — Bedouin  Encampment  — 
Arabs. 

TARTARS. 

Habakkuk  i.  8. 

“ Their  horses  also  are  swifter  than  the  leopards  and 
are  more  fierce  than  the  evening  wolves  ; and  their 
horsemen  shall  spread  themselves,  and  their  horsemen 
shall  come  from  far  ; they  shall  fly  as  the  eagle  that 
hasteth  to  eat.” 

T he  manner  in  which  the  modern  Tartars  pillage  and 
destroy,  may  illustrate  these  words,  which  are  descrip- 
tive of  the  devastations  of  the  Chaldeans. 

22* 


258 


TARTARS. 


“ It  was  decided,”  writes  one  who  was  present  in  the 
Tartar  army  on  a particular  occasion,  “that  one  third 
of  the  army  should  pass  the  river  at  midnight,  divide 
into  several  columns,  subdivide  successively,  and  thus 
overspread  New  Servia,  burn  the  villages,  com,  and 
fodder,  and  carry  off  the  inhabitants  and  cattle.  The 
rest  of  the  army  marched  until  it  came  to  the  beaten 
track  in  the  snow,  made  by  the  detachment.  This  we 
followed  until  we  arrived  at  the  place  where  it  divided 
into  seven  branches,  to  the  left  of  which  we  constantly 
kept,  observing  never  to  mingle  or  confuse  ourselves 
with  any  of  the  subdivisions,  which  we  successively 
found,  and  some  of  which  were  only  small  paths,  traced 
by  one  or  two  horsemen. 

“ Flocks  were  found,  frozen  to  death,  on  the  plain  : and 
twenty  columns  of  smoke,  already  rising  in  the  horizon, 
completed  the  horrors  of  the  scene,  and  announced  the 
fires  which  laid  waste  New  Servia.  The  care,  the 
patience,  the  extreme  activity,  with  which  the  Tartars 
preserve  their  booty,  are  scarcely  credible.  All  re- 
searches after  the  inhabitants  of  Adjemka  were  useless, 
until  the  second  day,  when  at  the  moment  of  departure, 
the  ricks  of  corn  and  forage  which  concealed  the  poor 
people  were  set  on  fire.  Then  it  was  that  they  came 
and  cast  themselves  into  the  arms  of  their  enemies  to 
escape  the  flames  which  devoured  their  harvests  and 
their  homes.  The  order  to  burn  Adjemka  was  executed 
so  suddenly,  and  the  blaze  caught  the  thatched  houses 
with  so  much  violence  and  rapidity,  that  we  ourselves, 
at  leaving  it,  were  obliged  to  pass  through  the  flames. 
The  atmosphere  was  loaded  with  ashes ; and  the  vapor 
of  melted  snow,  which,  after  having  darkened  the  sun  for 
a time,  united  and  formed  a gray  snow,  that  crackled 
between  our  teeth.  A hundred  and  fifty  villages,  burnt 
in  like  manner,  sent  forth  their  ashes  twenty  leagues 
into  Poland.” 

Since  then  the  Chaldeans  resembled  in  their  destructive 
marches  these  Tartars,  well  might  the  prophet  describe 


TARTARS 


259 


them  as  a “ bitter  and  hasty  [or  swift]  nation,  which 
shall  march  through  the  breadth  of  the  land  as  “ ter- 
rible and  dreadful “ supping  up  [consuming]  as  the 
east  wind,  and  gathering  the  captivity  [captives]  as  the 
sand.”  Well  might  he  “ tremble”  at  their  coming,  and 
express  the  devastation  which  should  follow  by  “ the 
flocks  being  cut  off  from  the  fold,  and  there  being  no 
herd  in  the  stalls.”  See  Habakkuk  i.  6-9  ; iii.  16-18. — - 
Baron  de  Totfs  Memoirs  ; see  Harmer's  Observations , 
vol.  iii.,  pp.  414-418. 


DEPREDATIONS  OF  THE  ARABS. 

Proverbs  xvii.  19. 

“ He  that  exalteth  his  gate  seeketh  destruction.” 

Here  is  an  evident  allusion  to  the  attacks  made  by 
the  Arabs,  who  are  accustomed,  when  they  find  the 
doorways  large  enough,  to  ride  into  the  houses  of  those 
whom  they  mean  to  plunder.  To  hinder  them  from  so 
doing,  a traveller  tells  us,  that  the  door  of  the  house  in 
which  the  French  merchants  lived  at  Rama,  was  not 
three  feet  high,  and  that  all  the  doorways  in  the  town 
are  equally  low.  Another,  referring  to  his  entrance  into 
a monastery  near  Jerusalem,  says  : “ The  passage  is  so 
low  that  it  will  scarcely  admit  a horse  ; and  it  is  shut  by 
a gate  of  iron  strongly  secured  in  the  inside.  As  soon 
as  we  entered,  it  was  again  made  fast  with  various  bolts 
and  bars  of  iron  ; a precaution  extremely  necessary  in  a 
desert  place,  exposed  to  the  incursions  of  the  Arabs.” 
To  this  oppressive  practice,  which  is  not  confined  to  the 
Arabs,  Zephaniah  refers  ch.  i.,  8,  9 : “I  will  punish  the 
princes,  and  all  such  as  are  clothed  with  strange 
apparel”  (which  does  not  belong  to  them),  and  adds 
that  “ in  the  same  day  he  will  punish  all  those  that  leap 
on  the  threshold,  which  fill  their  master’s  houses  with 


260 


DEPREDATIONS  OF  THE  ARABS. 


violence  and  deceit,”  which  passage  may  be  thus  ex- 
plained : “ I will  punish  those  who  wear  the  apparel 
which  by  violence  and  deceit  their  servants  have  brought 
them.” — Thevenot  ; Harmer's  Observations , vol.  i.,  pp. 
217-220. 


Jeremiah  iii.  2. 

“ In  the  ways  hast  thou  sat  for  them,  as  the  Arabian 
in  the  wilderness.” 

The  Arabs  wait  for  caravans  with  the  most  violent 
avidity,  looking  about  them  on  all  sides,  raising  them- 
selves up  on  their  horses,  running  here  and  there  to  see 
if  they  cannot  perceive  any  smoke,  or  dust,  or  tracks  on 
the  ground,  or  any  other  marks  of  people  passing  along. 
— Sir  J.  Chardin ; Harmer's  Observations , vol.  i.,  p 
217. 

THEIR  MODE  OF  DWELLING,  Etc. 

Jeremiah  xlix.  8,  30; 

“ Flee  ye,  turn  back,  dwell  deep,  O inhabitants  of 
Dedan.  Flee,  get  you  far  off,  dwell  deep,  O ye  inhab- 
itants of  Hazor.” 

This  dwelling  deep  refers  probably  to  the  customs  of 
the  Arabs,  who  plunge  far  into  the  deserts  on  the 
approach  of  an  enemy,  as  well  as  to  their  sometimes 
dwelling  in  grottoes  during  the  winter. 

The  people  of  Hazor  and  Dedan  evidently  lived  in 
tents,  like  the  Bedouin  Arabs  ; for  they  are  described 
(at  least  the  inhabitants  of  Hazor)  as  a “ nation  that 
dwelleth  without  care,  which  have  neither  gates  nor  bars, 
which  dwell  alone”  (see  v.  31).  The  prophet  there- 
fore bids  them  to  flee  into  the  deserts,  and  dwell  deep 
therein  for  security.  Of  one  tribe  of  Arabs  in  par- 
ticular, it  is  observed  by  Niebuhr,  that  when  the  pacha 
of  Bagdad  sends  troops  against  them,  they  retire,  as 
soon  as  they  receive  the  intelligence,  to  the  bottom  of 


THEIR  MODE  OF  DWELLING,  ETC. 


261 


the  desert , whither  their  pursuers  dare  not  follow  them. 
And  Mr.  Savary,  in  speaking  of  the  wandering  Arabs, 
says  : “ Always  on  their  guard  against  tyranny,  on  the 
least  discontent  that  is  given  them,  they  pack  up  their 
tents,  lade  their  camels  with  them,  ravage  the  flat 
country,  and,  laden  with  plunder,  plunge  into  the  burn- 
ing sands,  whither  none  can  pursue  them,  and  where 
they  alone  dare  dwell. — Harmer's  Observations , vol.  i., 
pp.  222-225. 


Isaiah  lxiii.  13,  14. 

“ That  led  them  through  the  deep,  as  a horse  in  the 
wilderness,  that  they  should  not  stumble.  As  a beast 
goeth  down  into  the  valley,  the  spirit  of  the  Lord 
caused  him  to  rest : so  didst  thou  lead  thy  people,  to 
make  thyself  a glorious  name.” 

The  word  horse,  here  signifies  not  a single  horse, 


262 


THEIR  MANNER  OF  FLIGHT. 


but  cavalry  ; and  the  allusion  is  to  the  Arab  horses,  who 
are  remarkable  for  their  swiftness  in  carrying  their 
masters  out  of  the  reach  of  their  pursuers  in  the  wil- 
derness. 

The  great  emir  of  Mount  Carmel  had  a horse  which  he 
would  not  have  parted  with  for  five  thousand  crowns,  it 
having  carried  him  three  days  and  three  nights  together, 
without  eating  or  drinking,  and  by  this  means  delivered 
him  out  of  the  hands  of  those  that  pursued  after  him. 

The  words,  “ beast  goeth  down  into  the  valley,”  may 
be  rendered  “ as  the  herd  goeth  down,”  &c.  When  the 
Arabs  of  Barbary  want  to  lie  concealed,  they  choose 
woods  and  valleys  to  live  in  ; and  La  Roque  informs  us, 
that  the  Arabs,  upon  any  alarm  decamp  in  two  hours’ 
time,  with  their  herds,  flocks,  and  families,  and  plunge 
into  the  deserts.  Here  they  choose  some  retired  vale 
in  which  to  remain  secure. 

Thus  had  God  led  his  people  in  safety  through  the 
Red  sea,  and  preserved  them  from  the  pursuit  of 
Pharaoh,  even  as  the  horse  in  the  wilderness  bear  their 
riders  far  from  their  enemies  ; and  even,  so  as  a herd 
rests  in  safety  in  the  valley  w’herein  it  is  sheltered  from 
all  fear  of  intruders,  so  had  the  Lord  made  Israel  to  rest 
beneath  the  shadow  of  his  wings. — See  Harmer’s  Obser- 
vations, vol.  i.,  pp.  229-237. 


BEDOUIN  ENCAMPMENT. 

On  his  road  to  Gaza,  Mr.  Stephens  mentions  having 
come  to  a Bedouin  encampment  in  one  of  the  “ most 
singular  and  interesting  spots”  he  had  ever  seen.  “ We 
were  climbing,”  he  writes,  “ up  the  side  of  a mountain, 
and  saw  on  a little  point  on  the  very  summit  the  figure 
of  an  Arab,  kneeling  in  evening  prayer.  He  had 
finished  his  devotions,  and  was  sitting  on  the  rock  when 
we  approached,  and  found  that  he  had  literally  been 
praying  on  his  house-top,  for  his  habitation  was  in  the 


BEDOUIN  ENCAMPMENT. 


263 


rock  beneath.  Like  almost  every  old  man  one  meets  in 
the  East,  he  looked  exactly  the  patriarch  of  the  imagin- 
ation, and  precisely  as  we  would  paint  Abraham,  Isaac, 
or  Jacob.  He  rose  as  we  approached,  and  gave  us  the 
usual  Bedouin  invitation  to  stop  and  pass  the  night  with 
him  ; and,  leading  us  a few  paces  to  the  brink  of  the 
mountain,  he  showed  us  in  the  valley  below  the  village 
of  his  tribe. 

The  valley  began  at  the  foot  of  the  elevation  on 
which  we  stood,  and  lay  between  ranges  of  broken  and 
overhanging  rocks,  a smooth  and  beautiful  table  of 
green,  for  perhaps  a quarter  of  a mile,  and  beyond  that 
distance  broke  off  and  expanded  into  an  extensive 
meadow.  The  whole  of  this  valley,  down  to  the  mead- 
ow, was  filled  with  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats  ; and,  for 
the  first  time  since  I left  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  I saw  a 

herd  of  cows But  where  were  the  dwellings  of 

the  pastors,  the  tents  in  which  dwelt  the  shepherds  of 
these  flocks  and  herds  ? In  Egypt  I had  seen  the  Arabs 
living  in  tombs,  and  among  the  ruins  of  temples  ; in 
the  desert  I had  seen  them  dwelling  in  tents  ; but  I had 
never  yet  seen  them  making  their  habitations  in  the 
rude  crevices  of  the  rocks.  Such,  however,  were  their 
habitations  here.  The  rocks  in  many  places  were  over- 
hanging ; in  others  there  were  chasms  or  fissures  ; and 
wherever  there  was  anything  that  could  afford  a partial 
protection  from  the  weather  on  one  side,  a low,  rough, 
circular  wall  of  stone  was  built  in  front  of  it,  and 
formed  the  abode  of  a large  family.  Within  the  small 
enclosure  in  front,  the  women  were  sitting  winnowing 
or  grinding  grain,  or  rather  pounding  and  rubbing  it 
between  two  stones,  in  the  same  primitive  manner  prac- 
tised of  old,  in  the  days  of  the  patriarchs.  We  de- 
scended and  pitched  our  tents  in  the  middle  of  the 
valley.  The  habitations  m the  crevices  of  the  rocks, 
bad  as  they  would  be  considered  anywhere  else,  I found 
much  more  comfortable  than  most  of  the  huts  of  the 
Egyptians  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  or  the  rude  tents 


264 


BEDOUIN  ENCAMPMENT. 


of  the  Bedouins.  It  was  not  sheer  poverty  that  drove 
these  shepherds  to  take  shelter  in  the  rocks,  for  they 
were  a tribe  more  than  three  hundred  strong,  and  had 
flocks  and  herds  such  as  are  seldom  seen  among  the 
Bedouins  ; and  they  were  far  better  clad,  and  had  the 

appearance  of  being  better  fed  than  my  companions 

In  the  evening  the  men  and  women*  came  up,  one  after 
another,  with  their  crooks  in  their  hands,  and  their 
well-trained  dogs,  driving  before  them  their  several 
flocks.  Some  entered  the  little  enclosures  before  their 
rude  habitations ; but  many  destitute  of  even  this 
miserable  shelter,  slept  outside  in  the  open  valley,  with 
their  flocks  around  them,  and  their  dogs  by  their  side. 
....  In  the  evening  we  seated  ourselves  round  a large 
bowl  of  cracked  corn  and  milk,  so  thick  as  to  be  taken 
with  the  hands,  unaided  by  a spoon  or  ladle,  followed 
by  smoking  stewed  kid  ; and  after  this  exercise  of  hos- 
pitality to  the  strangers,  some  withdrew  to  their  rocky 
dwellings,  others  laid  themselves  down  around  the  fire, 
and  I retired  to  my  tent.  All  night  I heard  from  every 
part  of  the  valley  the  lowing  of  cattle,  the  bleating  of 
lambs  and  goats,  and  the  loud  barking  of  the  watch-dog 
Early  in  the  morning,  while  the  stars  were  yet  in  the 
sky,  I was  up  and  out  of  my  tent.  The  flocks  were 
still  quiet,  and  the  shepherds  and  shepherdesses  were 
still  sleeping  with  the  bare  earth  for  their  bed,  and  the 
canopy  of  heaven  their  only  covering.  One  after  the 
other  they  awoke  ; and  as  the  day  was  breaking,  they 
were  milking  the  cows  and  goats,  and  at  broad  daylight 
they  were  again  moving,  with  their  crooks  and  dogs,  to 
the  pasture-ground  at  the  foot  of  the  valley. — Incidents 
of  Travel , vol.  ii.,  pp.  127-132. 

ARABS. 

In  his  account  of  his  journey  to  Mount  Sinai,  the 
same  traveller  writes  : “ We  were  moving  along  a broad 


* See  Genesis  xxix.  1-10. 


ARABS. 


265 


valley  bounded  by  ranges  of  lofty  and  crumbling 
mountains,  forming  an  immense  rocky  rampart  on  each 
side  of  us  ; and  rocky  and  barren  as  these  mountains 
seemed,  on  their  tops  were  gardens  which  produced 
oranges,  dates,  and  figs,  in  great  abundance.  Here,  on 
heights  almost  inaccessible  to  any  but  the  children  of 
the  desert,  the  Bedouin  pitches  his  tent,  pastures  his 
sheep  and  goats,  and  gains  the  slender  subsistence 
necessary  for  himself  and  his  family  ; and  often,  looking 
up  the  bare  side  of  the  mountain,  we  could  see  on  its 
summit’s  edge  the  wild  figure  of  a half-naked  Arab, 
with  his  long  matchlock  gun  in  his  hand,  watching  the 
movement  of  our  little  caravan.  Sometimes,  too,  a 
woman  was  seen  stealing  across  the  valley,  not  a trav- 
eller or  a passer-by,  but  a dweller  in  the  land  where  no 
smoke  curled  from  the  domestic  hearth,  and  no  sign  of  a 

habitation  was  perceptible Not  far  from  the  track 

we  saw,  hanging  on  a thorn-bush,  the  black  cloth  of  a 
Bedouin’s  tent,  with  the  pole-ropes,  pegs,  and  everything 
necessary  to  convert  it  into  a habitation  for  a family.  It 
had  been  there  six  months  ; the  owner  had  gone  to  a new 
pasture-ground,  and  there  it  had  hung,  and  there  it  would 
hang,  sacred  and  untouched,  until  he  returned  to  claim  it. 
4 It  belongs  to  one  of  our  tribe,  and  cursed  be  the  hand 
that  touches  it’  is  the  feeling  of  every  Bedouin.  Un- 
counted gold  might  be  exposed  in  the  same  way  ; and 
the  poorest  Bedouin,  though  a robber  by  birth  and 
profession,  would  pass  by,  and  touch  it  not.  On  the 
very  summit  of  the  mountain,  apparently  ensconced 
behind  it  as  a wall,  his  body  not  more  than  half  visible, 
a Bedouin  was  looking  down  upon  us  ; and  one  of  my 
party,  who  had  long  kept  his  face  turned  that  way,  told 
me  that  there  was  the  tent  of  his  father.  I talked  with 
him  about  his  kindred  and  his  mountain  home,  not  ex- 
pecting, however,  to  discover  anything  of  extraordinary 
interest  or  novelty.  The  sons  of  Ishmael  have  ever 
been  the  same  inhabitants  of  the  desert,  despising  the 
dwellers  uuder  a roof,  wanderers  and  wild  men  from 
23 


266 


ARABS. 


their  birth,  with  their  hands  against  every  man,  and 
every  man’s  hand  against  them.  £ There  is  blood  be- 
tween us,’  says  the  Bedouin,  when  he  meets  in  the  desert 
one  of  a tribe,  by  some  individual  of  which  an  ancestor 
of  his  own  was  killed,  perhaps  a hundred  years  before. 
And  then  they  draw  their  swords,  and  a new  account  of 
blood  is  opened,  to  be  handed  down  as  a legacy  to  their 
children.  £ The  desert  is  ours’  (says  the  Bedouin  to 
the  stranger  whom  he  meets  travelling  through  his 
wild  domain),  £ and  every  man  who  passes  over  it  must 
pay  us  tribute.’  These  principal  and  distinguishing 
traits  of  the  Bedouin  character  have  long  been  known  ; 
but  as  I expected  to  see  them  in  their  tents,  and  be 
thrown  among  different  tribes,  claiming  friendship  from 
those  who  were  enemies  to  each  other,  I was  curious  to 
know  the  details  of  their  lives  and  habits  ; and  I listened 
with  exceeding  interest  while  the  young  Bedouin,  with 
his  eyes  constantly  fixed  upon  it,  told  me  that  for  more 
than  four  hundred  years  the  tent  of  his  fathers  had 
been  in  that  mountain.  Wild  and  unsettled,  robbers 
and  plunderers  as  they  are,  they  have  laws  which  are 
as  sacred  as  our  own  ; and  the  tent,  and  the  garden,  and 
the  little  pasture-ground,  are  transmitted  from  father  to 
son  for  centuries.  I have  probably  forgotten  more  than 
half  of  our  conversation  ; but  I remember  he  told  me 
that  all  the  sons  shared  equally  ; that  the  daughters 
took  nothing  ; that  the  children  lived  together  ; that  if 
any  of  the  brothers  got  married,  the  property  must  be 
divided ; that  the  sisters  must  remain  with  the  brothers 
until  they  (the  sisters)  are  married.  I asked  him,  if 
the  brothers  did  not  choose  to  keep  a sister  with  them, 
what  became  of  her  ; but  he  did  not  understand  me.  I 
repeated  the  question,  but  still  he  did  not  comprehend 
it,  and  looked  to  his  companions  for  an  explanation. 
And  when,  at  last,  the  meaning  of  my  question  became 
apparent  to  his  mind,  he  answered,  with  a look  of 
wonder,  £ It  is  impossible — she  is  his  own  blood.’  I 
pressed  my  question  again  and  again,  in  various  forms* 


ARABS. 


267 


but  it  was  so  strange  an  idea,  that  to  the  last  he  did 
not  fully  comprehend  it,  and  his  answer  was  still  the 
same,  4 It  is  impossible — she  is  his  own  blood.’  The 
Bedouin  seldom  marries  more  than  one  wife. 

44  They  are  essentially  a pastoral  people — their  only 
riches  are  their  flocks  and  herds,  their  home  is  in  the 
wide  desert,  and  they  have  no  local  attachment ; to-day 
they  pitch  their  tents  among  the  mountains,  to-morrow 
in  the  plain ; and  wherever  they  plant  themselves  for 
the  time,  all  that  they  have  on  earth — wife,  children, 
and  friends,  are  immediately  around  them.  In  fact, 
the  life  of  a Bedouin,  his  appearance  and  habits,  are 
precisely  the  same  as  those  of  the  patriarchs  of  old. 
Abraham,  himself,  the  first  of  the  patriarchs,  was  a 
Bedouin,  and  four  thousand  years  have  not  made  the 
slightest  alteration  in  the  character  and  habits  of  this 
extraordinary  people.  Read  of  the  patriarchs  in  the 
Bible,  and  it  is  the  best  description  you  can  have  of 
pastoral  life  in  the  East  at  the  present  day.* 

44  Among  the  barren  and  desolate  mountains,  there  is 
frequently  a small  space  of  ground,  near  some  fountain 
or  deposite  of  water,  known  only  to  the  Arabs,  capable 
of  producing  a scanty  crop  of  grass  to  pasture  a few 
camels,  and  a small  flock  of  sheep  or  goats.  There  the 
Bedouin  pitches  his  tent,  and  remains  until  the  scanty 
product  is  consumed ; and  then  packs  up  his  household 
goods,  and  seeks  another  pasture  ground.” — Incidents 
of  Travel , vol.  i.,  265-267,  269  ; ii.  7. 

The  history  of  the  Arabs,  writes  Mr.  Keith,  so  opposite 
in  many  respects  to  that  of  the  Jews,  but  as  a singular  as 
theirs,  was  concisely  and  clearly  foretold.  It  was  prophe- 
sied concerning  Ishmael : 44  He  will  be  a wild  man  ; his 
hand  will  be  against  every  man,  and  every  man’s  hand  will 
be  against  him  : and  he  shall  dwell  in  the  presence  of  all 
his  brethren.  I will  make  him  fruitful,  and  multiply 
him  exceedingly,  and  I will  make  him  a great  nation,” 


See  Chapter  I. 


268 


ARABS. 


The  fate  of  Ishmael  is  here  identified  with  that  of  his 
descendants  ; and  the  same  character  is  common  to  them 
both.  The  historical  evidence  of  the  fact,  the  universal 
tradition,  and  constant  boast  of  the  Arabs  themselves, 
their  language,  and  the  preservation  for  many  ages  of 
an  original  rite,  derived  from  him  as  their  predecessor, 
confirm  the  truth  of  their  descent  from  Ishmael.  The 
body  of  their  nation  has  escaped  the  yoke  of  the  most 
powerful  monarchies,  and  the  conquerors  of  many  other 
people,  could  never  achieve  the  conquest  of  Arabia. 
The  Arabs  subsist  to  this  day  in  the  prophesied  and 
primitive  wildness  of  their  race,  hostile  to  all,  as  even 
the  unbelieving  Gibbon  writes,  “ armed  against  man- 
kind.” Plundering  is  their  profession.  Their  alliance 
is  never  courted,  and  can  never  be  obtained  ; and  all 
that  the  Turks  or  Persians,  or  any  of  their  neighbors, 
can  stipulate  for  from  them,  is  a partial  and  purchased 
forbearance.  Even  the  British,  who  have  established  a 
residence  in  almost  every  country,  have  entered  the 
territories  of  the  descendants  of  Ishmael  to  accomplish 
only  the  premeditated  destruction  of  a fort,  and  to  retire. 
They  have  continued  wild  or  uncivilized,  and  have 
retained  their  habits  of  hostility  toward  all  the  rest  of 
the  human  race,  though  they  possessed  for  three  hun- 
dred years  countries  the  most  opposite  in  their  nature 
from  the  mountains  of  Arabia.  The  greatest  part  of 
the  temperate  zone  was  included  within  the  limits  of  the 
Arabian  conquests ; and  their  empire  extended  from 
India  to  the  Atlantic,  and  embraced  a wider  range  of 
territory  than  ever  was  possessed  by  the  Romans,  those 
boasted  masters  of  the  world.  The  period  of  their 
conquest  and  dominion  was  sufficient,  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, to  have  changed  the  manners  of  any  people  ; 
but  whether  in  the  land  of  Shinar,  or  in  the  valleys  of 
Spain,  on  the  banks  of  the  Tigris  or  the  Tagus,  in  Araby 
the  blessed,  or  Araby  the  barren,  the  posterity  of  Ishmael 
have  ever  retained  their  prophetic  character  ; they  have 
remained  under  every  change  of  condition,  a wild 


ARABS. 


269 


people  ; their  hand  has  still  been  against  every  man,  and 
every  man’s  hand  against  them.  The  following  is  the 
natural  reflection  of  Sir  R.  K.  Porter,  on  examining 
the  peculiarities  of  an  Arab  tribe  : * On  the  smallest 
computation,  such  must  have  been  the  manners  of  those 
people  for  more  than  three  thousand  years,  thus  in  all 
things  verifying  the  prediction  given  of  Ishmael  at  his 
birth And  that  an  acute  and  active  people,  sur- 

rounded for  ages  by  polished  and  luxurious  nations, 
should  from  their  earliest  to  their  latest  times,  be  still 
found  a wild  people,  dwelling  in  the  presence  of  all  their 
brethren  (as  we  may  call  these  nations)  unsubdued  and 
unchangeable,  is,  indeed,  a standing  miracle, — one  of 
those  mysterious  facts  which  establish  the  truth  of  proph- 
ecy.’ ” — See  Keith  on  the  Prophecies , pp.  320-323. 


23 


270 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

ACCOUNT  OF  THE  RECHABITES. 

Jeremiah  xxxv.  5-8,  18,  19. 
u And  I set  before  the  sons  of  the  house  of  the 
Rechabites  pots  full  of  wine,  and  cups,  and  I said  unto 
them,  Drink  ye  wine.  But  they  said,  We  will  drink  no 
wine  : for  Jonadab,  the  son  of  Rechab,  our  father 
(2  Kings  x.  15),  commanded  us  saying,  Ye  shall  drink 
no  wine,  neither  ye  nor  your  sons  for  ever  : neither 
shall  ye  build  house,  nor  sow  seed,  nor  plant  vineyard, 
nor  have  any  : but  all  your  days  ye  shall  dwell  in  tents  ; 
that  ye  may  live  many  days  in  the  land  where  ye  be 
strangers.  Thus  have  we  obeyed  the  voice  of  Jonadab, 
the  son  of  Rechab,  our  father,  in  all  that  he  hath 
charged  us 

“ And  Jeremiah  said  unto  the  house  of  the  Rechab- 
ites, Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  the  God  of  Israel. 
Because  ye  have  obeyed  the  commandment  of  Jonadab 
your  father,  and  kept  all  his  precepts,  and  done  accord- 
ing unto  all  that  he  hath  commanded  you ; therefore 
thus  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  the  God  of  Israel,  Jonadab 
the  son  of  Rechab  shall  not  want  a man  to  stand  before 
me  for  ever.’’ 

T he  following  account  of  the  Rechabites  is  given  by 
the  Rev.  Joseph  Wolff,  missionary  to  the  Jews  : — 

“ On  my  arrival  at  Julooha,  I saw  Jews  wandering 
about  among  the  Arabs,  and  believing  them  to  be 
Rechabites  on  account  of  their  wandering  about  in  the 
desert,  I asked  them  the  question,  they  answered,  4 No  ; 
but  here  is  one  who  comes  from  the  deserts  of  Mecca. 
I saw  a man  standing  before  me,  with  the  wild  look  and 
dress  of  an  Arab,  holding  his  horse’s  bridle  in  his  hand, 


ACCOUNT  OF  THE  RECHABITES. 


271 


I showed  him  the  Bible,  both  in  Hebrew  and  Arabic, 
he  read  both  languages,  and  was  rejoiced  to  see  the 
Bible  ; he  was  not  acquainted  with  the  New  Testament. 
After  having  proclaimed  to  him  the  tidings  of  salvation, 
and  made  him  a present  of  the  Hebrew  and  Arabic 
bibles  and  testaments,  I asked  him,  ‘ Whose  descendant 
are  you  V Mousa  (this  was  his  name)  said  with  a loud 
voice,  ‘ Come,  and  I will  show  you he  then  opened 


the  Bibie  at  the  thirty-fifth  chapter  of  Jeremiah,  and 
began  to  read  from  the  fifth  to  the  eleventh  verse.  I 
asked  ‘Where  do  you  live?’  Referring  to  Genesis 
x.  27,  he  replied,  ‘ At  Hadoram,  now  called  Samar  by 
the  Arabs,  at  Usal,  now  called  Sanaa  by  the  Arabs,  and 
[Gen.  x.  30]  at  Mesha,  now  called  Mecca,  in  the  deserts 
around  those  places.  We  drink  no  wine,  and  plant  no 
vineyard,  and  sow  no  seed,  and  live  in  tents  as  Jonadab 
our  father  commanded  us  ; Hobab,  the  son  of  Jethro, 
was  our  father  too  ; come  to  us,  you  will  still  find  sixty 


272 


ACCOUNT  OF  THE  RECHABITES. 


thousand  in  number,  and  you  see  thus  the  prophecy  has 
been  fulfilled,  “ Therefore  thus  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts, 
the  God  of  Israel,  Jonadab  the  son  of  Rechab  shall  not 
want  a man  to  stand  before  me  for  ever.”  ’ 

“ Saying  this  Mousa  mounted  his  horse  and  galloped 
off,  leaving  me  more  convinced  than  ever  of  the  truth 
of  the  Scriptures. 

“ The  Rechabites  are  descendants  of  Midian,  son  of 
Abraham  by  Keturah  ; and  the  example  of  the  father 
of  the  faithful  seems  to  have  been  handed  down  through 
Hobab  and  Rechab,  through  many  generations,  as  it  is 
written,  ‘ I know  him,  that  he  will  command  his  children 
and  his  household  after  him,  and  they  shall  keep  the 
way  of  the  Lord  to  do  justice  and  judgment.’  ” 

“Recent  discoveries,”  observes  Mr.  Keith,  “have 
brought  to  light  the  miraculous  preservation  and  exist- 
ence, as  a distinct  people,  of  a less  numerous,  but  not 
less  interesting  race  [than  the  Arabs]  ‘ a plant  which 
grew  up  under  the  mighty  cedar  of  Israel,  but  was 
destined  to  flourish  when  that  proud  tree  was  levelled 
to  the  earth.’  4 Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  the  God 
of  Israel,  Jonadab  the  son  of  Rechab  shall  not  want  a 
man  to  stand  before  me  for  ever*’  The  Rechabites  still 
exist  a £ distinct,  and  easily  distinguishable’  people. 
They  boast  of  their  descent  from  Rechab,  profess  pure 
Judaism,  and  all  know  Hebrew.  The  account  given  of 
them  by  Benjamin  of  Tudela,  in  the  twelfth  century, 
has  very  recently  been  confirmed  by  Mr.  Wolfl’;  and, 
as  he  witnessed,  and  heard  from  an  intrepid  ‘ Rechabite 
cavalier,’  there  is  not  a man  wanting  to  stand  up  as  a 
son  of  Rechab.” — See  Wolff’s  Journal  (1828),  vol.  ii. , 
pp.  276,  331-336.  Keith  on  the  Prophecies,  pp.  348,  350.. 


273 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


Miscellaneous  Observations — Leprosy  — Eastern  Potters  — Smi- 
ting on  the  Mouth  — Significant  Actions  much  used  in  the 
East  — Token  of  Enmity — Stones  erected  as  memorials  — 
Eastern  Games  — Maternal  Influence  — Shrines  — Spoils  sus- 
pended in  Sacred  places  — Sacrifices  offered  to  Idols  in  High 
Places  — Religious  Marks  — Religious  Custom  in  Judea  — in 
China  and  Persia — Roman  Soldiers  — Military  Subordina- 
tion among  the  Romans  — Barbarous  Custom  in  Warfare  — 
Hiding  Treasures. 


LEPROSY. 

Leviticus  xiii.  46. 

“ All  the  days  wherein  the  plague  shall  be  in  him 
. . . . [the  leper]  he  shall  dwell  alone” 

Mr.  Carne,  when  in  Cyprus  writes,  “ Near  the  foot 
of  the  hill,  in  a most  lonely  spot,  and  in  a wretched 
cottage,  lived  a family  of  lepers.  These  unfortunate 
people  were  avoided  by  all  the  other  inhabitants,  who 
dreaded  to  come  near  their  dwelling.  The  disease  was 
hereditary,  for  every  one  of  their  numerous  family  was 
afflicted  with  it.  Some  of  them  stood  at  the  door,  and 
looked  the  pictures  of  sadness  and  solitude.  They 
would  be  starved,  did  not  some  of  the  people  who  lived 
in  the  plain  bring  food  occasionally,  and  place  it  at  a 
short  distance  from  the  cottage. 

“ So  great  is  the  horror  entertained  of  this  disease, 
that  the  Mosaic  law  is  fulfilled  to  the  letter,  of  shutting 
them  out  from  all  society,  without  the  hope  of  ever  re 
turning  to  it.” — Game's  Letters , pp.  465-466. 


274 


LEPROSY. 


2 Kings  y.  27. 

“ And  he  went  out  from  his  presence  a leper  as  white 
as  snow.” 

Mr.  Caunter  when  in  India,  gives  the  following 
account  of  a leper  with  whom  he  met.  “ One  evening, 
as  I was  strolling  along  the  seashore,  I saw  such  an 
extraordinary  object  before  me,  that  I could  not  take  my 
eyes  off  it.  A man  was  coming  toward  me,  whose  only 
clothing  [like  that  of  all  the  lower  orders  of  India]  was 
a piece  of  cloth  wrapped  round  the  body  from  the  waist 
downward.  His  skin  was  perfectly  white,  and  it  seemed 
glazed  as  if  seared  with  a hot  iron.  His  head  was  un- 
covered, and  his  hair,  which  was  of  precisely  the  same 
color  as  the  skin,  hung  down  in  long  strips  upon  his 
lean  and  withered  shoulders.  His  eyes,  except  the 
eyeballs,  were  of  a dull  murky  red,  and  he  kept  them 
fixed  on  the  ground,  as  if  it  were  painful  to  him  to  look 
up,  which  I found  to  be  the  case.  He  walked  slowly 
and  feebly,  and  he  was  so  frightfully  thin,  that  he  seemed 
to  stand  before  me  a living  skeleton.  He  did  not  at  first 
venture  to  come  within  several  yards  of  me  ; I moved 
toward  him,  but  he  * walked  further  from  me,  beseech- 
ing me  to  give  the  smallest  trifle  to  a miserable  man,  to 
save  him  from  starving  to  death,  as  he  was  an  object  of 
universal  scorn,  and  an  outcast  from  his  home  and 
friends.  He  told  me  not  to  come  near  a polluted  crea- 
ture, for  whom  no  one  felt  pity.  He  told  me  he  had 
during  many  years,  suffered  dreadfully  from  the  leprosy, 
and  though  he  was  now  cured,  it  had  left  upon  him 
these  marks  of  pollution,  which  would  prevent  his  ever 
being  allowed  to  go  near  his  fellow-creatures  again. 
The  color  of  his  skin  was  changed  to  a corpse-like 
white,  and  none  could  mistake  that  he  had  been  a leper.” 
75. 


EASTERN  POTTERS. 


275 


EASTERN  POTTERS. 

Jeremiah  xviii.  1-6. 

“ The  word  which  came  to  Jeremiah  from  the  Lord, 
saying,  Arise,  and  go  down  to  the  potter’s  house,  and 
there  will  I cause  thee  to  hear  my  words.  Then  I went 


down  to  the  potter’s  house,  and  behold,  he  wrought  a 
work  on  the  wheels  ; and  the  vessel  that  he  made  of 
clay  was  marred  in  the  hand  of  the  potter  ; so  he  made 
it  again  another  vessel,  as  seemed  good  to  the  potter  to 
make  it.  Then  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  me, 
saying,  O house  of  Israel,  cannot  I do  with  you  as  this 
potter  ? saith  the  Lord.  Behold,  as  the  clay  is  in  the 
potter’s  hand,  so  are  ye  in  mine  hand,  O house  of 
Israel.” 


276 


EASTERN  POTTERS. 


“ I hardly  ever,”  writes  Captain  Basil  Hall,*  “ passed 
a Hindoo’s  hut,  before  which  a swarthy  turbaned  inhab- 
itant of  the  East  was  whirling  round  the  potter’s  wheel, 
without  having  my  thoughts  carried  back  to  some  of 
those  beautiful  narrations  of  Scripture,  which  fasten 
themselves  so  early  and  so  firmly  on  our  minds.  I had 
once  the  good  fortune,  as  I must  ever  consider  it,  to  see 
a workman  accidently  break  the  pot,  which  had  cost 
him  no  small  trouble  to  fashion.  He  immediately  col- 
lected the  fragments,  dabbed  the  clay  together  again, 
and  with  the  industry  of  an  ant,  set  about  the  recon- 
struction of  his  vessel.  As  the  whole  process  recalled 
an  illustration  I remembered  to  have  seen  used  some- 
where in  the  Old  Testament,  I set  about  hunting  for 
the  passage,  and  was  delighted  to  find  what  I had  just 
witnessed  described  in  Jeremiah  xviii.” 


SMITING  ON  THE  MOUTH. 

Acts  xxiii.  2. 

“ And  the  high-priest  Ananias  commanded  them  that 
stood  by  him  to  smite  him  on  the  mouth.” 

Among  Eastern  nations,  the  shoe  is  always  con- 
sidered as  vile,  and  to  be  smitten  with  it,  is  the  last  act 
of  ignominy.  An  Eastern  governor,  wishing  to  extort 
money  from  two  of  his  subjects,  demanded  a large  sum 
of  them  in  tribute.  They  answered  the  king,  that  all 
that  was  due  had  been  sent ; when  the  latter,  enraged 
at  their  refusal,  commanded  them  to  be  beaten,  which 
was  done  accordingly ; and  whenever  they  attempted  to 
say  anything  in  their  own  defence,  they  were  smitten 
on  the  mouth  with  a shoe,  the  heel  of  which  was  shod 
w ith  iron. — Morier’s  Second  Journey  through  Persia, 
pp.  94,  95. 


See  Fragments  of  Voyages , $c. 


SIGNIFICANT  ACTIONS  MUCH  USED. 


27? 


SIGNIFICANT  ACTIONS  MUCH  USED  IN  THE  EAST. 

Job  xxix.  10. 

“ The  princes  refrained  talking,  and  laid  their  hand 
on  their  mouth.” 

When  the  Eastern  people  wish  to  be  silent,  they 
place  their  hand  upon  their  mouth  to  express  their 
intentions  by  actions,  and  their  sentiments  by  attitude. 
Many  instances  of  this  practice  are  to  be  found.  “ On 
our  taking  possession  of  Rosetta,”  writes  Monsieur 
Denon,  “ at  an  entertainment  which  was  given,  a young 
Greek  came  up  to  me,  kissed  my  shoulder,  and  with  his 
finger  on  his  lips,  without  uttering  a single  syllable, 
slipped  privately  into  my  hand  a nosegay  which  he  had 
brought  me.  This  simple  demonstration  completely  un- 
folded all  his  sensations,  and  was  expressive  of  his 
political  situation,  his  fears,  and  his  hopes.” — Denorts 
Travels  m Egypt. 

TOKEN  OF  ENMITY. 

2 Kings  iii.  19. 

Ye  shall  mar  every  good  piece  of  land  with  stones.” 

^ Ecclesiastes  iii.  5. 

“ A time  to  cast  away  stones,  and  a time  to  gather 
stones  together.” 

It  is  a frequent  practice  in  Arabia,  for  persons  to 
place  stones  on  the  ground  of  those  with  whom  they 
are  at  variance,  as  a warning,  that  any  one  who  dares  to 
till  that  field  shall  be  slam  by  them.  The  Israelites, 
having  conquered  Moab,  probably  placed  such  stones  in 
their  best  grounds,  thus  interdicting  them  from  tilling 
them.  The  royal  preacher’s  words  may  signify,  in 
accordance  with  this  ancient  custom,  “ There  is  a time 
M 


278 


TOKEN  OF  ENMITY. 


to  give  to  nations  with  whom  we  have  been  at  war,  the 
sign  of  reconciliation,  by  removing  the  stones  from  their 
fields  ; and  a time  when  we  must  still  leave,  or  place 
them  there,  as  tokens  of  displeasure.” — Harmer* s Obser- 
vations, vol.  iv.,  pp.  392-394. 


STONES  ERECTED  AS  MEMORIALS  IN  THE  EAST. 

Genesis  xxviii.  18-22. 

“ And  Jacob  rose  up  early  in  the  morning,  and  took 
the  stone  that  he  had  put  for  his  pillows,  and  set  it  up 
for  a pillar,  and  poured  oil  upon  the  top  of  it.  . . , . 
And  Jacob  vowed  a vow,  saying,  if  God  will  be  with 
me,  and  will  keep  me  in  this  way  that  I go,  and  will  give 
me  bread  to  eat,  and  raiment  to  put  on,  so  that  I come 
again  to  my  father’s  house  in  peace  ; then  shall  the  Lord 
be  my  God:  and  this  stone,  which  I have  set  for  a pillar* 
shall  be  God’s  house,  and  of  all  that  thou  shall  give  me, 
I will  surely  give  the  tenth  unto  thee.” 

Mr.  Morier  thus  illustrates  the  preceding  passage ; 
he  was  ascending  the  rock  of  Istakhar,  in  Persia  : — 

“We  ascended  on  the  northwest  side,  winding  round 
the  foot  of  the  rock,  and  making  our  way  through 
narrow  and  intricate  paths.  I remarked  that  our  old 
guide  every  here  and  there  placed  a stone  on  a con- 
spicuous bit  of  rock,  or  two  stones  one  upon  the  other,  at 
the  same  time  uttering  some  words,  which  I learned  were 
a prayer  for  our  safe  return.  This  explained  to  me 
what  I had  frequently  seen  before  in  the  East,  and 
particularly  on  the  high  road  leading  to  a great  town, 
whence  the  town  is  first  seen,  and  where  the  Eastern 
traveller  sets  up  his  stone  accompanied  by  a devout 
exclamation,  as  it  were,  in  token  of  his  safe  arrival. 
The  action  of  our  guide  appears  to  illustrate  the  vow 
which  Jacob  made  when  he  travelled  to  Padan-aram,  in 
token  of  which  he  placed  a stone  and  set  it  up  for  a 


STONES  ERECTED  AS  MEMORIALS 


279 


pillar. — In  seeing  a stone  on  the  road  placed  in  this 
position,  or  one  stone  upon  another,  it  implies  that  some 
traveller  has  there  made  a vow,  or  a thanksgiving. 
Nothing  is  so  natural  in  a journey  over  a dreary  country 
as  for  a solitary  traveller  to  set  himself  down  fatigued, 
and  to  make  the  vow  that  Jacob  did.  4 If  God  be  with 
me,  and  keep  me  in  this  way  that  I go,  so  that  I reach 
my  father’s  house  in  peace,’  then  will  I give  so  much  in 
charity  ; or  again,  that  on  first  seeing  the  place  which 
he  has  toiled  so  long  to  reach,  the  traveller  should  sit 
down  and  make  a thanksgiving,  in  both  cases  setting  up 
a stone  as  a memorial.” — Morier’s  Second  Journey 
through  Persia,  Armenia,  and  Asia  Minor,  p.  84. 


7( 


280 


EASTERN  GAMES. 


EASTERN  GAMES. 

2 Timothy  iv.  7. 

u I have  fought  a good  fight ; I have  finished  my 
course.” 

“ From  Megara,”  writes  Mr.  Wilson,  the  missionary 
to  Greece,  “ we  set  off  at  daylight  for  Corinth.  On 
the  road  we  skirted  the  Corinthian  gulf,  a most  de- 
lightful walk.  At  the  head  of  the  waters  we  occasionally 
obtained,  as  we  turned  a projecting  angle  of  the  coast, 
a splendid  view  of  the  towering  citadel,  high  in  the  air, 
yet  black  and  frowning.  We  crossed  the  isthmus  of 
Corinth  about  noon.  This,  could  one  fail  to  recollect  ? 
was  the  sight  of  some  of  those  celebrated  games  so  often 
alluded  to  by  St.  Paul.  In  his  epistle  to  Timothy  is  a 
most  elegant  and  endearing  reference  to  these  contests 
of  the  ancient  Greeks.  ‘ I have  fought  the  good  fight 
— I have  finished  my  course  — I have  kept  the  faith : 
henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a crown  of  righteous- 
ness, which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  judge,  will  give  me 
at  that  day  : and  not  to  me  only,  but  unto  all  them  also 
that  love  his  appearing.’  The  ‘ course’  was  now 
mapped  out  at  my  feet.  Around  this  thousands  used  to 
congregate  to  witness  the  dexterity  of  the  wrestler,  or 
the  velocity  of  the  racer ; and  the  judges  sat  by  to 
award  the  prize  to  victors.  How  interesting  is  the  allu- 
sion to  these  facts  made  by  St.  Paul,  in  addressing  the 
infant  church  of  Christ,  4 Wherefore  seeing  that  we 
also,’  not  these  candidates,  but  we  professors,  ‘ are  en- 
compassed about  with  so  great  a cloud  of  witnesses,  let 
us  lay  aside  every  weight,’  everything  that  might  encum- 
ber us  in  our  course,  ‘ and  run  with  patience  the  race 
set  before  us.’  And  in  another  place,  this  zealous 
apostle  addresses  the  very  men,  who  in  other  ages  as- 
sembled where  my  feet  now  stood,  in  beautiful  allusion 
to  these  ancient  contests.  ‘ So  run,  that  ye  may  obtain,’ 


EASTERN  GAMES. 


281 


obtain  the  crown  of  glory.”  How  animating  the  motives 
here  held  out  to  the  Christian  ! Those  who  have  already 
finished  their  course  are  represented  as  witnesses,  a 
cloud  of  witnesses,  around  ours.  They  anxiously 
watch  our  progress,  they  long  for  our  success  ; they 
await  the  time  when  we  shall  gain  the  victory,  for  ‘ they, 
without  us,  cannot  be  made  perfect.’  Well  then,  may 
each  say 

Awake,  my  soul ! stretch  every  nerve, 

And  press  with  vigor  on. 

The  Grecian  wrestlers  and  racers  exerted  themselves 
to  obtain  a corruptible  crown,  (corruptible,  indeed,  for 
it  was  of  laurel  or  parsley!)  but  we,'  an  incorruptible. 
And  wo  unto  us,  if  we  exhibit  less  energy  than  they ! 
So  run  we  then,  not  as  uncertainly  ; so  fight  we,  not  as 
one  that  beateth  the  air  ! — Rev.  S.  S.  Wilsoris  Malta , fyc. 


MATERNAL  INFLUENCE. 

1 Samuel  xx.  30. 

“ Then  Saul’s  anger  was  kindled  against  Jonathan, 
and  he  said  unto  him,  Thou  son  of  the  perverse  rebel- 
ious  woman.” 

When  the  Eastern  people  are  angry  with  any  one, 
they  abuse  and  vilify  his  parents.  Saul  did  not  intend 
to  reproach  his  wife  personally,  but  to  intimate  his  wrath 
against  her  son.  This  treatment  is  acutely  felt  by  the 
children.  In  every  Eastern  family,  the  great  object  of 
respect  and  devotion  is  the  mother.  Witness  the  fa- 
miliar expression,  “ Pull  my  father’s  beard,  but  do  not 
speak  ill  of  my  mother.”  In  Africa,  maternal  affection 
is  always  conspicuous,  and  creates  a correspondent  return 
of  tenderness  in  the  child.  “ Strike  me,”  said  a travel- 
ler’s servant  to  his  master,  “ but  do  not  curse  my  mother 
Urqucharfs  Spirit  of  the  East ; and  Note  on  this  passage 
in  Treasury  Bible . 


24* 


282 


SHRINES. 


SHRINES. 

Acts  xix.  24. 

“ A certain  man,  named  Demetrius,*  a silversmith, 
which  made  silver  shrines  for  Diana,  brought  no  small 
gain  unto  the  craftsmen.” 

“ I remember  once  entering  a church  in  the  island 
of  Cefalonia,”  writes  the  Rev.  S.  S.  Wilson,  “ seated  on 
a hill  overhanging  the  sea.  To  this  church  poor 
mariners  often  resort  after  storms.  L remarked  there 
what  I had  often  seen  also  in  papal  churches  in  Malta  ; 
over  the  shrine  of  some  favorite  saint  were  ranged  a 
number  of  arms,  legs,  eyes,  pictures  of  ships  in  danger, 
and  so  forth,  some  in  white  wax,  some  in  silver,  and 
some  in  gold.  What  are  these  ? I asked.  These  are 
oblations  of  gratitude,  placed  on  the  wrong  altar.  The 
offerers  have  been  at  the  point  of  death  in  sickness,  or 
have  suffered  under  some  local  disease,  or  in  fine,  have 
been  in  a storm  ; and  in  their  distress,  have  made  vows 
to  the  saint,  which  they  fulfilled  by  presenting  these 
limbs  and  rude  paintings  ” — Rev.  S . S.  Wilson's  Malta . 


SPOILS  SUSPENDED  IN  SACRED  PLACES. 

2 Samuel  viii.  7-11. 

“ And  David  took  the  shields  of  gold  which  were  on 
the  servants  of  Hadadezer,  and  brought  them  to  Jeru- 
salem ; . . . . which  King  David  did  dedicate  unto  the 
Lord,  with  the  silver  and  gold  ....  of  all  nations  which 
he  subdued.” 

When  the  Tegeans  on  one  occasion  conquered  the 
Lacedaemonians,  who  had  attacked  them  with  such  an 
assurance  of  victory,  that  they  had  brought  with  them 
fetters  to  bind  the  prisoners  with,  they  placed  these  very 


SPOILS  SUSPENDED  IN  SACRED  PLACES. 


283 


fetters  upon  the  Lacedaemonian  captives,  and  sent  them 
to  work  in  their  fields.  These  very  chains,  Herodotus 
records,  were  preserved  in  his  remembrance,  hung  round 
the  temple  of  the  goddess  Minerva.*  This  custom  of 
suspending  in  sacred  buildings  the  spoils  taken  from  an 
enemy,  was  begun  in  the  most  barbarous  ages,  and  at 
the  present  day  continued.  It  is  usual  among  the 
moderns  to  suspend  in  churches  the  colors  taken  from 
the  enemy. 


SACRIFICES  OFFERED  TO  IDOLS  IN  HIGH 
PLACES. 

Deuteronony  xii.  2,  3. 

“ Ye  shall  utterly  destroy  all  the  places  wherein  the 
nations  which  ye  shall  possess  served  their  gods,  upon 
the  high  mountains,  and  upon  the  hills,  and  under  every 
green  tree.” 


It  appears  to  have  been  from  the  first,  the  custom  of 
the  heathen  idolaters,  to  offer  their  sacrifices  to  their 
gods  on  the  tops  of  hills  and  mountains,  and  in  groves 
and  shady  places  (see  verse  3). 

The  Israelites  were  therefore  commanded,  not  to  offer 
their  burnt-offerings  in  every  place  they  saw , but  to 
offer  them  only  in  the  place  the  Lord  should  choose 
(verse  13,  14).  The  ancient  Persians  offered,  from  the 
summits  of  the  highest  mountains,  sacrifices  to  Jove, 
distinguishing  by  that  appellation  all  the  expanse  of  the 
firmament.  (Herodotus  bk.  I.,  ch.  cxxxi.) 

The  temples  where  the  heathens  went  to  consult  their 
oracles,  were  also  for  the  most  part  built  in  mountainous., 
places. 


* Book  I.,  lxvi 


284 


RELIGIOUS  MARKS. 


RELIGIOUS  MARKS. 

Deuteronomy  xxxii.  5. 

“ Their  spot  is  not  the  spot  of  his  children.” 

“ One  of  the  most  striking  peculiarities  in  Madras  is 
the  universality  with  which  the  men  and  women,  old  and 
young,  bear  upon  their  foreheads,  arms,  &c.,  the  marks 
peculiar  to  their  religion.  Some  have  a red  or  blue 
spot  on  their  forehead  ; others,  blue,  red,  white,  or 
yellow  perpendicular  lines  ; others  horizontal  lines. 
Some,  in  addition  to  these,  have  ashes  or  clay  rubbed  in 
lines  on  their  arms.  I could  not  help  recurring  con- 
tinually to  that  text  in  Deuteronomy,  ‘ Their  spot  is 
not  the  spot  of  his  children.’  The  allusion  is,  doubtless, 
to  a similar  custom.” — Rev.  H.  Malcom's  Travels. 

RELIGIOUS  CUSTOM  IN  JUDEA. 

Luke  ii.  42. 

“ And  when  he  [Jesus]  was  twelve  years  old,  they 
went  up  to  Jerusalem.” 

The  Jew  boys,  when  they  enter  their  thirteenth 
year,  go  through  the  following  ceremony,  the  poorer 
classes  in  private,  the  richer  Jews  in  the  synagogue. 
I had  the  opportunity  of  witnessing  one  of  these.  The 
boy,  who  was  the  son  of  a rabbi,  appeared  in  the  syna- 
gogue, well  dressed,  with  the  ten  commandments  fast- 
ened on  his  forehead  in  a small  leathern  bag,  and  the 
same  also  on  his  left  arm.  The  morning  service  was 
then  read.  After  this,  the  lad  advanced  to  the  altar, 
and  offered  up  a prayer  to  the  Almighty,  in  permitting 
him  to  attain  that  age  which  is  here  considered  as  the 
commencement  of  manhood.  A religious  discourse 
was  then  delivered  by  him  for  nearly  an  hour. — Note  to 
Brooke's  Travels  in  Spain  and  Morocco . 


RELIGIOUS  CUSTOM  IN  CHINA  AND  PERSIA.  285 


RELIGIOUS  CUSTOM  IN  CHINA  AND  PERSIA. 

Leviticus  xi.  33. 

“ And  every  earthen  vessel,  whereinto  any  of  them 
falleth,  whatsoever  is  in  it  shall  be  unclean  ; and  ye  shall 
break  it.” 

It  was  usual  in  ancient  times,  and  is  still  the  custom 
in  China,  Persia,  and  many  other  countries,  for  each 
guest  to  have  a little  table  for  himself,  upon  which  dishes 
are  placed  separately  for  him.  In  India  many  persons 
never  eat  out  of  the  same  dish  as  others,  believing  it 
would  be  sinful  to  do  so,  and  thinking  their  dishes,  &c., 
to  be  polluted  and  spoiled  if  touched  by  persons  of 
another  religion,  they  break  them.  Dr.  Clark  found  a 
similar  custom  among  the  Turks,  He  was  one  night 
entertained  very  kindly  by  a Turk  and  his  family  ; after 
leaving  the  place,  the  next  morning  Dr.  Clark  returned 
for  a book  he  had  left  behind,  when  he  found  his  kind 
host  and  all  the  family  employed  in  breaking  and 
throwing  away  the  earthenware  plates  and  dishes,  from 
which  his  guests  had  eaten,  and  purifying  the  other 
utensils  and  articles  of  furniture  by  passing  them  through 
fire  or  water. 


ROMAN  SOLDIERS. 

2 Timothy  ii.  3. 

“ Thou  therefore  endure  hardness,  as  a good  soldier 
of  Jesus  Christ.” 

What  hardship  a Roman  soldier  endured,  the  follow- 
ing passage  in  Josephus  will  evince.  It  forms  a striking 
commentary  upon  his  text.  “ When  they  march, v 
writes  the  historian,  “ out  of  their  encampment,  they 
advance  in  silence,  and  in  great  decorum,  each  man 
keeping  his  proper  rank,  just  as  in  a battle.  Their  in- 


286 


ROMAN  SOLDIERS. 


famry  is  armed  with  breast-plates  and  helmets,  and 
they  carry  a sword  on  each  side.  The  sword  they  wear 
on  their  left  side  is  by  far  the  longest,  for  that  on  the 
right  is  not  above  a span’s  length.  That  select  body 
of  infantry,  which  forms  part  of  the  general’s  life-guards, 
is  armed  with  lances  and  bucklers  ; but  the  rest  of  the 
phalanx  have  a spear  and  a long  shield,  beside  which 
they  bear  a saw  and  a basket,  a spade,  and  a hatchet ; 
they  also  carry  with  them  a cord,  a sickle,  a chain,  and 
provisions  for  three  days,  so  that  a Roman  foot  soldier 
is  but  very  little  different  from  a beast  of  burden.” — 
Josephus. 


MILITARY  SUBORDINATION  AMONG  THE  ROMANS. 

Matthew  viii.  9. 

“ I am  a man  under  authority,  having  soldiers  under 
me,  and  I say  to  this  man,  Go,  and  he  goeth  ; and  to 
another,  Come,  and  he  cometh ; and  to  my  servant,  Do 
this,  and  he  doeth  it.” 


The  strictest  subordination  and  obedience  were  ex- 
acted of  every  Roman  soldier.  The  Roman  infantry 
were  divided  into  three  principal  classes,  each  of  which 
was  composed  of  thirty  companies,  and  each  company 
contained  two  hundred  men.  Over  every  company  were 
placed  two  centurions  (one  to  each  hundred),  who  were, 
however,  very  far  from  being  equal  in  rank  and  honor, 
though  possessing  the  same  office.  Two  of  the  classes 
were  esteemed  more  honorable  than  the  other,  and  had 
their  centurions  elected  first ; and  these  took  precedency 
of  the  centurions  of  the  remaining  class,  who  were 
elected  last . The  humble  centurion  of  the  Gospel 
appears  to  have  been  of  the  inferior  order.  He  was  a 
man  “ under  authority,”  of  other  centurions,  and  had 
none  under  him  but  the  hundred  men,  who  appear  to 


MILITARY  SUBORDINATION. 


287 


have  been  in  a state  of  the  strictest  military  subordina- 
tion, as  well  as  of  loving  subjection  to  him. 

Even  in  the  present  day  we  may  find  the  same  sub- 
ordination, exemplified  in  the  East.  A captive  chief, 
who  was  marching  to  the  British  headquarters,  on  being 
asked  concerning  the  motives  that  induced  him  to  quit 
his  native  land,  and  enter  into  the  service  of  the  rajah 
of  Nepal  (as  he  had  done),  replied  in  the  following  very 
impressive  manner  : “ My  master  sent  me.  • He  says  to 
his  people,  to  one,  Go  you  to  Ghurwall ; to  another, 
Go  you  to  Cashmire,  or  to  any  distant  part.  My  lord, 
thy  slave  obeys  ; it  is  done.  None  ever  inquires  into  the 
reason  of  an  order  of  the  rajah.” — Dr.  A , Clarke ; 
Fraser's  Notes. 

BARBAROUS  CUSTOM  IN  EASTERN  WARFARE. 

2 Kings  x.  8 

“ And  there  came  a messenger  and  told  him  [Jehu], 
saying,  They  have  brought  the  heads  of  the  king’s  sons  ; 
and  he  said,  Lay  ye  them  in  two  heaps  at  the  entering 
in  of  the  gate  until  the  morning.” 

Mr.  Morier,  in  an  account  he  gives  of  a treaty  of 
peace  between  two  armies,  one  of  Russians,  and  the 
other  of  Persians,  says,  “ One  of  the  articles  was,  that 
their  [the  Russian’s]  heads  were  not  to  be  cut  off ; an 
act  which  in  Persian  and  Turkish  warfare  is  a common 
custom.  During  this  fight  ten  tomauns  were  given  for 
every  head  of  the  enemy  that  was  brought  to  the  prince 
[of  Persia  ];  and  it  has  been  known  to  occur,  after  the 
combat  was  over,  that  prisoners  have  been  put  to  death 
in  cold  blood,  in  order  that  the  heads,  which  are  imme- 
diately despatched  to  the  king,  and  deposited  in  heaps 
at  the  palace-gate,  might  make  a more  considerable  show. 
Such  barbarities  make  us  shudder  in  England,  but  they 
only  tend  to  show  how  little  the  manners  of  Asia  have 
changed  since  the  remotest  times.”— Morier' s Second 
Journey  through  Persia,  <^c„  p.  186. 


288 


HIDING  TREASURES. 


HIDING  TREASURES. 

Matthew  xxv.  18. 

“ But  he  that  had  received  one  [talent]  went  and 
digged  in  the  earth,  and  hid  his  Lord’s  money.” 

The  practice  of  hiding  treasures,  is  one  of  almost 
daily  occurrence  in  the  East.  In  the  year  1813,  the 
pacha  of  Egypt  demanded  fifteen  thousand  purses  from 
those  who  kept  the  money  of  the  country.  Twelve 
hundred'purses  were  required  from  an  old  man  named 
Felteos,  who  had  been  a chief  financier  in  former  times. 
He  refused  to  pay  this,  alleging  his  poverty,  but  at  last 
he  offered  to  give  two  hundred  purses.  The  pacha  sent 
for  him,  threatened,  and  seeing  him  obstinate,  ordered 
him  to  be  beaten.  After  receiving  five  hundred  strokes, 
and  being  nearly  half  dead,  he  declared  he  would  pay  no 
more  than  two  hundred  purses.  The  governor  thought 
he  was  telling  the  truth,  but  his  son  Ibrahim  Pacha, 
who  was  present,  said  he  was  sure  the  man  had  more 
money.  Felteos,  therefore  received  three  hundred 
additional  strokes,  after  which  he  confessed  that  he  was 
possessed  of  the  sum  demanded,  and  promised  to  pay 
it.  He  was  then  permitted  to  return  home  ; and  at  the 
end  of  a fortnight,  being  so  much  recovered  as  to  be 
able  to  walk  about,  commissioners  were  sent  to  his  house 
by  the  pacha,  laborers  were  called,  and  Felteos  de- 
scended with  them  to  a lower  room  in  his  house,  at  the 
bottom  of  which  they  removed  a large  stone  which 
closed  up  a small  passage,  containing  a vaulted  niche, 
where  two  iron  chests  were  deposited.  On  opening 
these,  two  thousand  purses  were  found,  twelve  hundred 
of  which  the  pacha  took,  and  left  the  remainder  to  the 
owner,  who  died  three  months  after,  not  in  consequence 
of  the  blows  he  had  received,  but  of  grief  for  the  loss 
of  his  money.  Had  he  been  able  to  remove  the  treas- 
ure secretly,  he  would  probably  have  done  so,  had  not 


HIDING  TREASURES. 


289 


a guard  been  posted  in  his  house  immediately  on  his 
promising  to  pay.  The  pacha,  conceiving  that  the 
money  was  concealed  in  some  secret  spot,  according 
to  a practice  general  in  the  East. — Burckhardt's 
Travels. 


25 


290 


APPENDIX. 


HOSPITALITY.  Chap.  I. 

A traveller  mentions  that  while  in  the  desert,  near 
Sinai,  anticipating  not  meeting  for  days  with  a living  crea- 
ture, himself  and  his  attendants  were  suddenly  cheered  by 
seeing  an  Arab  woman  pass  before  them,  and,  overtaking 
her,  she  recognised  in  one  of  his  companions  a friend  of  her 
tribe,  and,  in  the  same  spirit,  and  almost  in  the  same  words 
which  would  have  been  used  by  her  ancestors  four  thousand 
years  ago,  she  asked  them  to  her  tent  (not  far  from  the 
road,  but  completely  hidden  from  view),  and  promised 
them  a lamb  or  a kid  for  supper.  “ Her  husband  was 
stretched  on  the  ground  in  front  of  his  tent,  and  welcomed 
us  with  an  air  and  manner  that  belonged  to  the  desert,  but 
which  a king  on  his  throne  could  not  have  excelled.  He 
was  the  imbodied  personification  of  all  my  conceptions  of 
a patriarch : a large  loose  frock,  a striped  handkerchief  on 
his  head,  bare  legs,  sandals  on  his  feet,  and  a long  white 

beard Almost  immediately  after  we  were  seated,  he 

took  his  shepherd’s  crook,  and,  assisted  by  his  son,  selected 
a lamb  from  the  flock  for  the  evening  meal ” — Inci- 

dents of  Travel , vol.  ii.,  pp.  7,  8. 


CARAVANSARIES.  Chap.  I. 

Jeremiah  ix.,  2. 

“ 0 that  I had  in  the  wilderness  a lodging-place  of  way- 
faring men,  that  I might  leave  my  people,  and  go  from 
them.” 

The  prophet  here  clearly  alludes  to  those  solitary  khans 
or  lodging-places  for  travellers,  which  are  often  at  equal 
distances,  in  Turkey,  between  large  towns. 


APPENDIX. 


291 


The  places  of  accommodation  for  travellers  in  the  East, 
are  properly  three — caravansaries,  khans,  and  menzils. 
The  first  are  buildings  designed  to  afford  shelter  to  trav- 
ellers in  deserts,  and  other  remote  situations ; khans  are 
similar  buildings  in  a town ; and  menzil  is  a word  of  rather 
indefinite  application,  but  seems  generally  to  denote  the 
house  of  the  persons  who  are  accustomed  to  accommodate 
travellers  in  places  where  there  is  no  khan  or  caravansary. 
The  superior  class  of  caravansaries  appear  very  striking 
objects  to  the  stranger,  who  takes  them  for  palaces,  for- 
tresses, or  castles;  but  this  first  impression  wears  off  on  a 
nearer  approach,  when  it  is  seen  that  no  enclosed  buildings 
rise  above  the  level  of  the  enclosing  wall.  This  wall  is 
generally  upward  of  twenty  feet  high,  and  it  sometimes 
extends  one  hundred  yards  on  each  side  of  the  square  which 
it  encloses.  It  is  strongly  built  of  fine  brick-work,  com- 
monly based  on  stone,  and  is  ornamented  at  the  top.  In 
the  centre  of  the  front  wall  is  the  entrance,  a tall  and 
spacious  archway,  over  which  are  sometimes  chambers 
crowned  with  superb  domes.  These  form  the  places  of 
honor.  On  each  side,  under  the  arched  roof  of  the 
portico,  are  the  keeper’s  rooms,  and  shops,  where  the  com- 
modities most  required  by  travellers  are  sold.  Passing 
through  this  archway,  the  spectator  perceives  a sort  of 
piazza  extending  on  every  side  of  the  interior  of  the  quad- 
rangle, leaving  a spacious  area  in  the  middle.  Arched 
recesses  in  the  wall  now  appear  to  be  apartments,  divided 
from  each  other  by  walls,  open  in  front,  neatly  paved,  and 
sometimes  possessing  a fire-place,  while  compartments  cut 
out  in  the  thick  wall  serve  as  cupboards.  A small  door 
conducts  to  an  inner  room,  seldom  resorted  to,  of  an  oblong 
shape,  receiving  its  only  light  from  a chimney  opposite  the 
door,  and  having  also  a range  of  cupboards,  about  three 
feet  from  the  floor.  In  the  middle  of  each  of  the  three 
sides  of  the  building,  is  an  apartment  much  more  spacious 
and  lofty  than  any  other,  and  not  divided  into  two  rooms. 
These  are  used  as  places  where  the  different  inmates  resort, 
to  smoke,  converse,  or  tell  tales.  The  stables  of  the  cara- 
vansary extend  along  a covered  lane,  between  the  back 
wall  of  the  apartments,  and  the  outermost  wall  of  the 
building;  and  along  this  wall  there  extends,  within  the 
stable,  another  series  of  cell-like  apartments,  for  servants 
and  poor  people.  But  the  spacious  central  court-yard  is 


292 


APPENDIX. 


always  used  as  a stable  when  the  weather  is  fair.  In  the 
centre  of  the  court  is  an  elevated  platform  of  masonry,  the 
roof  of  a subterraneous  chamber,  a most  refreshing  retreat 
during  the  great  mid-day  heats.  Sometimes  the  place  of 
this  platform  is  occupied  by  the  parapet  of  the  deep  well 
or  reservoir  from  which  the  caravansary  is  supplied  with 
water.  At  the  angles  of  the  square,  flights  of  steps  conduct 
to  the  flat  roof  of  the  building,  resorted  to  in  the  cool  of 
the  evening.  The  traveller  brings  his  bedding,  culinary 
utensils,  and  some  articles  of  provision,  with  him.  Few 
caravansaries,  however,  are  thus  complete,  and  many  are 
suffered  to  fall  into  decay. 

The  largest  number  of  them  in  Persia  have  been  built 
by  wealthy  individuals  wishing  to  perpetuate  their  names, 
or  as  acts  of  charity  designed  to  purchase  future  rewards. 
Many  are  of  royal  origin,  and  very  ancient. — See  Penny 
Magazine , No.  166. 


SEPULCHRES  OF  THE  KINGS  OF  JUDAH.  Chap.  II. 

2 Kings  ix.,  28. 

u And  his  servants  carried  him  [Ahaziah,  king  of  Judah] 
in  a chariot  to  Jerusalem,  and  buried  him  in  his  sepulchre 
with  his  fathers  in  the  city  of  David.” 

2 Kings  xxiii.,  30. 

“ And  his  servants  carried  him  [Josiah]  in  a chariot  dead 
from  Megiddo,  and  brought  him  to  Jerusalem,  and  buried 
him  in  his  own  sepulchre.” 

The  tombs  of  the  kings  [of  Judah]  are  above  half  a mile 
from  the  wall  of  Jerusalem.  In  the  midst  of  a hollow, 
rocky,  and  adorned  with  a few  trees,  is  the  entrance ; you 
then  find  a large  apartment,  above  fifty  feet  long,  at  the 
side  of  which  a low  door  (surmounted  by  a beautiful  frieze) 
leads  into  a series  of  small  chambers,  in  the  walls  of  which 
are  several  deep  recesses,  hewn  out  of  the  rock,  of  the  size 
of  the  human  body.  There  are  six  or  seven  of  these  low 
and  dark  apartments,  one  or  two  of  which  are  adorned 
with  vine-leaves  and  clusters  of  grapes.  Many  parts  of  the 
stone  coffins,  beautifully  ornamented,  are  strewed  on  the 
floor;  and  it  should  seem  that  some  hand  of  ravage  had 


APPENDIX. 


293 


broken  them  to  pieces,  with  the  view  of  finding  something 
valuable  within.  The  sepulchres  of  the  judges,  so  called, 
are  situated  in  a wild  spot  about  two  miles  from  the  city. 
They  bear  much  resemblance  to  those  of  the  kings,  but  are 
not  so  handsome  or  spacious. — Carrie's  Letters,  p.  294. 


EASTERN  ROOFS.  Chap.  II. 

Proverbs  xxvii.,  15. 

A continual  dropping  in  a very  rainy  day,  and  a conten- 
tious woman,  are  alike.” 

The  following  is  a passage  from  the  Rev.  J.  Hartley’s 
Journals;  he  was  then  visiting  the  Apocalyptic  churches. 

April  21. — “ Last  night  we  retired  to  rest  in  what  appeared 
one  of  the  best  rooms  which  we  have  occupied  during  the 
journey ; but,  at  midnight,  we  were  roused  by  the  rain 
pouring  through  the  roof,  and  1 found  it  necessary  to  rise 
and  dress.  In  flat-roofed  houses  this  is  a frequent  occur- 
rence. I discover  in  this  adventure  an  illustration  of  Prov- 
xxvii.,  15.  The  Septuagint  has  it,  4 Drops  of  rain  in  a 
wintry  day  drive  a man  out  of  his  house  ; and  just  so  a railing 
woman.'  The  Vulgate  speaks  expressly  of  the  roof  through 
which  the  water  passeth.  I was  literally  driven  out  of  the 
house  by  the  rain  descending  through  the  roof;  and  sought 
for  shelter  in  the  corridor,  which  was  better  protected.” — 
Hartley's  Researches , pp.  283,  284. 


NAILS  IN  EASTERN  WALLS.  Chap.  IL 
Ezra  ix.,  S. 

“ And  now  for  a little  space  grace  hath  been  shewed  from 
the  Lord  our  God,  to  leave  us  a remnant  to  escape,  and  to 
give  us  a nail*  in  his  holy  place , that  our  God  may  lighten 
our  eyes,  and  give  us  a little  reviving  in  our  bondage.” 

Isaiah  xxii.,  23. 

444  And  I will  fasten  him  as  a nail  in  a sure  place 

a pin : that  is,  a constant  and  sure  abode.  See  margin. 

25* 


294 


APPENDIX. 


and  they  shall  hang  upon  him  all  the  glory  of  his  father’s 
house ” see  Zech.  x.  4. 

Speaking  of  the  houses  at  Damascus,  Mr.  Wilson  says" 
u In  building,  the  plan  is  to  fix  nails  or  pins  of  wood  in 
the  walls  while  still  soft,  to  suspend  such  domestic  articles 
as  are  required,  since,  consisting  altogether  of  clay,  they 
are  too  frail  to  permit  of  the  operation  of  a hammer.” — Rae 
Wilson’s  Travels , vol.  ii.,  p.  118. 

'It  is  evidently  to  this  custom  that  the  sacred  writers  refer 
in  the  texts  quoted  above,  making  it  expressive  of  security 
and  perpetuity.  For  Ezra,  after  speaking  of  the  afflictions 
of  his  people,  and  representing  them  as  delivered  to  cap- 
tivity, and  the  sword,  in  strange  lands,  where  they  wan- 
dered defenceless,  having  no  secure  dwelling,  nor  place  of 
refuge,  adds,  “ And  now  for  a little  space  grace  hath  been 
showed  from  the  Lord  our  God,  to  leave  us  a remnant  to 
escape,  and  to  give  us  a nail  in  his  holy  place’’  thus  re- 
storing them  to  their  own  land,  to  the  city  and  the  house 
which  he  had  chosen  to  put  his  name  there,  giving  them 
once  again  a constant  and  sure  abode  in  his  holy  mountain, 
and  temple. 

And  in  like  manner,  Isaiah,  when  prophesying  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  concerning  the  honors  which  should  be 
conferred  upon  Eliakim  (chap,  xxii.),  declares  that  he 
shall  be  fastened  as  a nail  in  a sure  place , thus  signifying 
his  security,  and  that  upon  him  shall  hang  all  the  glory  of 
his  father’s  house. 

The  words  “ sure  place,”  are  very  expressive,  for  usually 
the  walls  of  the  Eastern  houses  are  most  insecure.  Of  those 
at  Damascus,  Mr.  Wilson  observes,  that  they  are  built  of 
the  most  perishable  materials,  namely,  bricks,  not  dried  by 
fire,  but  by  the  heat  of  the  sun ; and  that  in  summer  they 
crack  and  crumble  with  the  heat,  creating  a most  offensive 
dust,  especially  when  rain  is  followed  by  wind;  while, 
during  wet  weather,  the  slough  arising  from  them  renders 
the  streets  almost  impassable. — Se  Rae  Wilson’s  Travels , 
yoL  ii.,  pp.  117-119. 


APPENDIX. 


295 


GREEK  FUNERALS.  Chap.  VIII. 

Luke  vii.  12-15. 

“ Now  when  he  came  nigh  to  the  gate  of  the  city,  behold, 
there  was  a dead  man  carried  out,  the  only  son  of  his 
mother,  and  she  was  a widow : and  much  people  of  the  city 
was  with  her.  And  when  the  Lord  saw  her,  he  had  com- 
passion on  her,  and  said  unto  her,  Weep  not.  And  he  came 
and  touched  the  bier:  and  they  that  bare  him  stood  still. 
And  he  said,  Young  man,  I say  unto  thee,  Arise.  And  he 
that  was  dead  sat  up,  and  began  to  speak.  And  he  deliv- 
ered him  to  his  mother.” 

In  describing  the  funeral  rites,  &c.,  of  the  Greeks,  Mr. 
Hartley  writes  : “ Very  frequently,  while  you  are  silently 

engaged  in  your  apartment,  the  stillness  of  a Turkish  town, 
where  no  rumbling  of  wheels  is  ever  heard,  is  interrupted 
by  the  distant  sound  of  the  funeral  chant  of  the  Greek 
priests.  As  the  voices  grow  more  loud,  you  hasten  to  the 
window  to  behold  the  procession.  The  priests  move  first, 
bearing  their  burning  tapers,  and  by  their  dark  and  flowing 
robes  give  an  idea  of  mourning  in  harmony  with  the  occa- 
sion. The  corpse  is  always  exhibited  to  full  view.  It  is 
placed  upon  a bier,  which  is  borne  aloft  upon  the  shoulders, 
and  is  dressed  in  the  best  and  gayest  garments  possessed  by 
the  deceased.  I have  sometimes  seen  a young  female,  who 
had  departed  in  the  bloom  of  life  and  beauty,  adorned 
rather  as  a bride  to  meet  the  bridegroom , than  as  one  who 
was  to  be  the  tenant  of  the  chamber  of  corruption.  The 
young  man  at  Nain,  who  was  restored  to  life  by  the  com- 
mand of  our  Savior,  was  doubtless  carried  on  a bier  of  this 
kind.  When  our  Lord  intimated  the  design  of  interposing 
in  his  favor,  they  that  bare  him  stood  still.  And  when  the 
miraculous  energy  was  exerted,  he  that  was  dead  sat  up , 
and  began  to  speak . (Luke  vii.  15.) 

“ The  closing  part  of  the  Greek  burial-service,  commen- 
cing with  the  words,  4 Come,  and  impart  the  last  embrace,’ 
is  very  affecting.  The  friends  of  the  departed  press  forward 
from  every  part  of  the  church,  and  kiss  his  cold  and  pallid 
lips,  and  weep  over  him.  It  is  considered  a very  peculiar 
mark  of  disrespect  to  neglect  this  last  office  of  affection.” — 
Bartley's  Researches , pp.  107,  108. 


296 


CONTENTS, 


SITTING,  A POSTURE  OF  MOURNING  IN  THE  EAST, 
Chap.  VIII. 

Lamentations  ii.  10. 

“ The  elders  of  the  daughter  of  Zion  sit  upon  the  ground* 

and  keep  silence  : the  virgins  of  Jerusalem  hang 

down  their  heads  to  the  ground.” 

Matthew  xxvii.  61. 

“ And  there  was  Mary  Magdalene,  and  the  other  Mary* 
sitting  over  against  the  sepulchre.”  See  also  John  xi.,  31,35. 

Sitting  is,  among  the  Jews,  the  posture  expressive  of 
grief.  After  the  decease  of  a parent,  the  children  sit  for 
seven  days,  on  very  low  stools,  without  shoes,  as  mourners 
for  the  dead.* 

Mr.  Wilson  speaks  of  finding  a crowd  of  women,  “ sitting 
around  a recently  dug  grave  (at  Bethlehem),  lamenting  the 
loss  of  a native  of  the  village,  whose  body  was  laid  in  it. 
Many  of  them  hung  down  their  heads  upon  their  breasts ; 
others  were  wringing  their  hands,  and  wept  bitterly,  look- 
ing at  the  same  time  into  the  grave.”  .... 

“Revelation  seems  to  warrant  the  conclusion,  that  the 
posture  of  these  women,  sitting  on  the  ground,  and  going 
through  a scene  expressive  of  grief,  is  a very  ancient  custom, 
since  we  find  this  exhibition  corresponds  with  that  made 
by  the  children  of  Israel  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.’* 
(Lam.  ii.  10.) 

“ The  Jews  lamented  their  dispersion  in  a similar  posture. 

* By  the  rivers  of  Babylon  there  we  sat  down;  yea , we  weptr 
when  we  remembered  Zion.*  In  reference  to  these,  one  of 
the  prophets  alludes  to  the  desolation  of  Judea,  on  account 
of  sin.  ‘She  being  desolate,  shall  sit  upon  the  ground/ 
(Isaiah  iii.  26.)  And,  it  may  be  added,  as  a very  striking 
fact,  that  Judea  is  symbolically  represented  on  Roman 
medals  by  the  figure  of  a female,  in  a sitting  posture,  at 
the  foot  of  a palm-tree,  with  her  head  bent,  as  if  she  were 
letting  fall  her  tears  upon  the  ground.  The  legend  is, 
‘Judsea  Capta.’ ”f — Rae  Wilson’s  Travels , vol  i.,  pp.  275 
—277. 


* See  a work  entitled,  Both  one  in  Christ , by  A.  M.  Myers,  p.  62. 
t This  coin  was  struck  by  Vespasian,  on  the  capture  of  Jerusalem.. 
The  palm-tree  is  an  emblem  of  Judea,  the  woman  of  Jerusalem. 


APPENDIX. 


297 


Mr.  Came  (in  pp.  332  and  333  of  his  Letters)  writes: 
“ A female,  with  part  of  her  robe  drawn  over  her  head,  or 
veiled,  was  seen  seated  by  the  tombs  of  her  relations  on  the 
summit  of  Mount  Moriah,  or  along  its  sides,  just  beneath 
the  walls.” 


PLOUGHING.  Chap.  X. 

Psalm  cxxix.  3. 

“ The  ploughers  ploughed  upon  my  back ; they  made  long 
their  furrows.” 

On  his  road  to  Jerusalem,  Mr.  Wilson  remarks,  “The 
husbandmen  with  ploughs  in  a state  of  patriarchal  rude- 
ness, were  tilling  the  soil ; and  what  is  singular,  they 
strewed  the  surface  of  the  field  with  seeds,  and  then 
ploughed  them  in.  The  peasants  engaged  in  this  culti- 
vation were,  in  general,  armed ; but  whether  this  was  the 
usage  of  the  country,  or  to  defend  them  from  being  robbed 
of  their  corn,  I could  not  ascertain.  One  thing,  however, 
we  know,  is,  that  it  was  common  for  seed  to  be  stolen,  as 
we  may  find  by  referring  to  the  inspired  page.  (1  Sam. 
xxiii.  1;  Job.  v.  5;  Psalm  cxxvi.  6.)  The  furrows  are 
made  in  a direct  line , and  an  allusion  to  this  appears  to  be 
involved  in  the  complaint  of  the  royal  Psalmist.  (Psalm 
cxxix.  3.”) 

Speaking  of  the  land  about  Ephesus,  the  same  traveller 
writes,  “ The  penetration  of  the  plough  into  the  land  is 
very  shallow,  and  the  furrows  are  long.” — Rae  Wilson's 
Travels , vol.  i.,  p.  185 ; ii.,  p.  217. 


THE  OX-GOAD.  Chap.  X. 

Judges  iii.  31. 

“ And  after  him  was  Shamgar,  the  son  of  Anath,  which 
slew  of  the  Philistines  six  hundred  men  with  an  ox-goad : 
and  he  also  delivered  Israel.” 

The  goad  used  in  Palestine  and  Syria,  for  driving  oxen 
while  ploughing,  is  of  “ extraordinary  length,  sharp  at  one 


298 


APPENDIX. 


end  for  driving  the  cattle,  and  at  the  other  is  a kind  of 
spade  for  cleansing  the  plough  from  the  weeds  and  mud 
that  retard  its  motion,  so  that  such  goad  is  necessary  to 
avoid  the  encumbrance  of  two  instruments.” — Rae  Wilson's 
Travels , vol.  ii.,  p.  157. 

Mr.  Maundrell  describes  this  implement,  which  he  says 
he  found  “about  eight  feet  long;  and  at  the  bigger  end 
about  six  inches  in  circumference,  armed  at  the  lesser  end 
with  a sharp  prickle  for  driving  the  oxen ; and  at  the  other 
end  with  a small  paddle  of  iron,  strong,  and  massive,  for 
cleansing  the  plough  from  the  clay.”— Maundrell's  Travels . 

“ It  was,  no  doubt,  this  latter  part  of  the  instrument  which 
Shangar  used  as  a battle-axe,  and  thus  killed  so  many  of 
his  enemies.” — Hartley's  Researches , p.  309. 


WINNOWING.  Chap.  X. 

Isaiah  xxx.  24. 

“ The  oxen  likewise,  and  the  young  asses  that  ear  the 
ground,  shall  eat  clean  provender  which  hath  been  win- 
nowed with  the  shovel  and  with  the  fan.” 

Mr.  Hartley  observes,  “ I see  the  Greeks  frequently  win- 
nowing with  the  shovel." — Hartley's  Researches , p.  366. 


PITS  FOR  CORN.  Chap  X. 

Jeremiah  xli.  8. 

“We  have  treasures  in  the  field,  of  wheat,  and  of  barley, 
and  of  oil,  and  of  honey.” 

These  “ treasures  in  the  field”  were  doubtless  laid  up  in 
subterranean  pits,  similar  to  the  mattamores  in  Barbary,  in 
which,  Dr.  Shaw  informs  us,  they  deposite  the  grain  when 
winnowed ; two  or  three  hundred  of  them  being  sometimes 
together,  and  the  smallest  holding  four  hundred  bushels. 
The  same  mode  of  keeping  corn  prevails  in  Syria  and  the 
Holy  Land. — Note  on  this  passage  in  Treasury  Bible ... 


APPENDIX. 


299 


GRASS.  Chap.  X. 

Isaiah  xl.  6,  7. 

“All  flesh  is  grass,  and  all  the  godliness  thereof  is  as  the 
flower  of  the  field : the  grass  withereth,  the  flower  fadeth : 
because  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  bloweth  upon  it : surely  the 
people  is  grass.’5 

“ The  very  affecting  images  of  Scripture,  which  compare 
the  short-lived  existence  of  man  to  the  decay  of  the  vege- 
table creation,  are  scarcely  understood  in  this  country.  The 
verdure  is  perpetual  in  England.  It  is  difficult  to  discover 
a time  when  it  can  be  said,  The  grass  withereth.  But  let 
the  traveller  visit  the  beautiful  plain  of  Smyrna,  or  any 
other  part  of  the  East,  in  the  month  of  May,  and  revisit  it 
toward  the  end  of  June,  and  he  will  perceive  the  force  and 
beauty  of  these  allusions.  In  May,  an  appearance  of  fresh 
verdure  and  of  rich  luxuriance  everywhere  meets  the  eye ; 
the  face  of  nature  is  adorned  with  a carpet  of  flowers  and 
herbage,  of  the  most  elegant  kind.  But  a month  or  six 
weeks  subsequently,  how  changed  is  the  entire  scene  ! 
The  beauty  is  gone ; the  grass  is  withered ; the  flower  is 
faded ; a brown  and  dusty  desert  has  taken  place  of  a de- 
licious garden.  It  is,  doubtless,  to  this  rapid  transformation 
of  nature  that  the  Scriptures  compare  the  fate  of  man.55 — 
Hartley's  Researches , pp.  214,  215. 


THE  VINE.  Chap.  X. 

There  is  no  one  set  of  images  more  frequently  employed 
in  Scripture,  to  signify  various  conditions  of  prosperity  or 
adversity,  or  to  typify  spiritual  blessings,  than  those  derived 
from  the  vine,  and  its  mode  of  cultivation  in  the  East. 

A time  of  peace  and  tranquillity  is  represented  by  “ every 
man’s  dwelling  safely  under  his  vine , and  under  his  fig- 
tree55  (1  Kings  iv.  25;  Micah  iv.  4;  Zech.  iii.  10),  plenty 
and  prosperity  are  typified  by  the  “ mountains  dropping 
down  sweet  wine.55  (Joel  iii.  18;  Amos  ix.  13.)  The  tem- 
poral blessedness  of  Judah  is  figured  by  his  “binding  his 
foal  unto  the  vine,  and  his  ass’s  colt  unto  the  choice  vine ; 
he  washed  his  garments  in  wine,  and  his  clothes  in  the 


300 


APPENDIX. 


blood  of  grapes ; his  eyes  shall  be  red  with  wine,  and  his 
teeth  white  with  milk.”  (Gen.  xlix.  11,  12.) 

The  chosen  people  of  Jehovah  are  styled  “a  noble  vine,” 
,(Jer.  ii.  21),  and  “ The  vineyard  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts”  (Isaiah 
v.  7),  under  this  latter  title  of  a vineyard,  both  the  Jewish 
and  Gentile  churches  are  signified  (Matt.  xxi.  33-41) ; and 
with  the  time  of  the  vintage,  are  associated  “ singing  and 
shouting,”  the  tokens  of  gladness.  (Isaiah  xvi.  10.)  Our 
blessed  Savior  makes  choice  of  the  emblem  of  a vine,  and 
its  fruitful  branches,  to  represent  his  own  person,  and  his 
union  with  believers.  “I  am  the  true  vine,  ye  are  the 
branches;  herein  is  my  father  glorified,  that  ye  bear  much 
fruit.”  (John  xv.  1,  5,  8.) 

On  the  other  hand,  when  reproved  for  their  sins  and  spir- 
itual barrenness,  the  chosen  people  are  called,  “ an  empty 
vine”  (Hosea  x.  1),  “ the  degenerate  plant  of  a strange  vine” 
(Jer.  ii.  21),  bringing  forth  only  “wild  grapes”  (Isaiah  v.  2). 
In  the  beautiful  lamentation  for  Moab,  in  Isaiah  xvi.,  the 
vine  of  Sibmah  is  said  to  languish ; “ and  gladness  is  taken 
away,  and  joy  out  of  the  plentiful  field ; and  in  the  vineyards 
there  shall  be  no  singing,  neither  shall  there  be  shouting: 
the  treaders  shall  tread  out  no  wine  in  their  presses  ,*  I have 
made  their  vintage  shouting  to  cease.”  While  the  terrible 
judgments  of  the  Messiah  upon  impenitent  sinners  are  fig- 
ured in  these  awful  words,  “ I have  trodden  the  wine-press 
alone;  and  of  the  people  there  was  none  with  me;  for  I 
will  tread  them  in  mine  anger,  and  trample  them  in  my 
fury.”  (Isaiah  lxiii.  3.) 

So  abundant  were  the  vines  in  Palestine,  and  so  much  did 
they  constitute  the  riches  of  the  people,  that  it  was  requisite 
to  have  express  laws  made  respecting  the  conduct  of  the  in- 
habitants with  regard  to  the  vineyards. 

Thus,  persons  who  were  passing  might  enter  another 
man’s  vineyard  and  eat,  but  might  not  carry  away  any  of 
his  grapes:  and  when  these  had  been  gathered,  what  fell, 
or  was  left  behind  on  the  vine,  was  to  belong  to  the  “ stran- 
ger, the  fatherless,  and  the  widow.”*  (Deut.  xxiii.  24  ; 
xxiv.  21 ; Levit.  xix.  10.) 

The  vines  of  Palestine  are  still  peculiarly  fine,  bearing 
grapes  of  an  extraordinary  size.  An  Italian  traveller  (Dan- 
dini)  says  that  the  grapes  of  Mount  Libanus  are  as  large  as 
prunes,!  and  Doubdan  writes  that  in  the  country  about 

* See  also  p.  306.  f Harmer’s  Observations,  vol.  iv.,  p.  8, 


APPENDIX. 


301 

Bethlehem,  he  found  a most  delightful  valley,  full  not  only 
of  aromatic  herbs  and  rose-bushes,  but  planted  with  vines, 
which  he  supposed  were  of  the  choicest  kind ; and  that  it 
was  indeed  the  valley  of  Eschol,  whence  the  spies  carried 
that  prodigious  bunch  of  grapes  to  Moses,  of  which  we 
read  in  the  book  of  Numbers  (ch.  xiii.  23).  “It  is  true,” 
says  this  traveller,  “ I have  seen  no  such  bunches  of  grapes, 
not  having  been  here  in  the  vintage,  but  the  monks  assured 
me  that  they  still  find  here  some  that  weigh  ten  or  twelve 
pounds.” — Harmer's  Observations , vol.  iii.,  p.  285. 

Laborde,  speaking  of  the  vines  of  Idumea,  writes,  “ The 
vines  of  this  country,  of  the  fruit  of  which  we  saw  some 
specimens,  account  for  the  enormous  grapes  which  the  spies 
sent  out  by  Moses,  brought  back  from  the  places  they  had 
visited.” — ( Travels , p.  203,  204.) 

Mr.  Jowett  speaks  of  passing  “some  well-cultivated 
vineyards  near  Jerusalem,  the  produce  of  which  furnishes 
that  city  with  excellent  wines.  Along  the  sides  of  these 
hills,  also,  we  continually  see  flocks  and  herds : the  sheep 
and  goats  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  city  have  a 
very  picturesque  appearance,  as  they  are  slowly  driven 
into  Jerusalem  just  before  sunset,  after  which  the  gates 
are  shut ; and  from  their  milk  a great  part  of  the  support 
of  the  inhabitants  is  derived.  Thus,  when  this  seemingly 
unpromising  soil  was  cultivated  in  perfection,  it  would 
answer  exactly  to  the  promise  given  to  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
“Binding  his  foal  unto  the  vine,  and  his  ass’s  colt  unto 
the  choice  vine ; he  washed  his  garments  in  wine,  and  his 
clothes  in  the  blood  of  grapes ; his  eyes  shall  be  red  with 
wine,  and  his  teeth  white  with  milk.” — Jowett' s Researches , 
pp.  259,  260. 

There  is  a kind  of  wild  vine  which  grows  near  the  high- 
ways and  hedges  of  Judea,  which  has  a small  grape  that 
is  black  when  ripe,  and  is  the  wild  grape  to  which  the 
prophet  compares  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  and  men 
of  Judah.  (Isaiah  v.  2.)  These  are  also  the  grapes  to 
which  another  prophet  refers,  when  he  predicts  the  ap- 
proaching judgment  on  that  rebellious  people.  (Ezek.  xviii. 
2.) — Rae  Wilson's  Travels,  vol.  i.,  p.  237. 

The  vineyards  produce  different  kinds  of  grapes,  which 
are  white,  black,  and  red.  To  the  juice  of  the  last  frequent 
references  are  made  in  the  Scriptures ; and,  with  striking 
propriety,  an  inspired  writer  calls  it,  the  pure  blood  of  the 
26 


302 


APPENDIX. 


grape.  (Deut.  xxxii.  14;  Isaiah  Ixiii.  2.) — Rae  Wilson's 
Travels , vol.  i.,  p.  237. 

The  wines  of  Lebanon  are  still  celebrated.  Le  Bruyn 
speaks  of  their  being  the  finest  in  the  world,  so  that  we 
can  understand  why  the  prophet  Hosea  should  have  derived 
a comparison  from  them,  when  he  says  (ch.  xiv.  7),  “ The 
scent  thereof,”  rather,  the  “ memorial ,”  as  it  is  rendered  in 
the  margin,  “ shall  be  as  the  wine  of  Lebanon .” — Harmer's 
Observations , vol.  iii.,  pp.  286-290. 

Sweet  wines  are  those  most  esteemed  in  the  East,  being 
more  full  and  rich,  and  capable  of  being  kept  (Luke  v.  39) ; 
and  these  were  anciently  appropriated  to  the  use  of  mon- 
archs  and  persons  of  rank.  “ Royal  wine  in  abundance, 
according  to  the  state  of  the  king”  (Esther  i.  7),  which 
words,  by  the  ancient  Eastern  translators  of  the  Septuagint, 
are  rendered  “much  and  sweet  wines,  such  as  the  king 
himself  drank.”  It  is  probable  that  the  word  translated 
new  wine,  in  loel  iii.  IS,  and  in  Acts  ii.  13,  should  be  sweet , 
or  full,  rich,  strong  wine. — See  Harmer's  Observations , vol. 
ii.,  pp.  146-149. 

This  fact  may  explain  the  conduct  of  the  military  who 
attended  the  crucifixion  of  the  Lord  of  G-lory,  as  it  was 
most  likely  in  derision  of  his  claim  to  royal  authority  that 
they  offered  him  vinegar,  or  wine  in  a state  of  strong 
acidity,  instead  of  good  or  generous  wine. — Rae  Wilson's 
Travels , vol.  i.,  p.  237. 

The  leaves  first  appear  on  the  vine  about  the  beginning  of 
March.  The  grape  ripens  toward  the  latter  end  of  July  ; 
and  when  surrounded  with  Arabs,  Judea,  through  fear  of 
them,  became  obliged  to  hurry  on  the  vintage,  but  the  wine 
made  in  this  manner  could  not  be  sweet  wine.  The  grapes 
hanging  low  on  the  trees  makes  the  wine  much  richer  and 
sweeter ; and  thus  Amos,  in  the  ninth  chapter  and  thirteenth 
verse  of  his  prophecy,  writes,  “Behold,  the  days  come, 
saith  the  Lord,  that  the  ploughman  shall  overtake  the 
reaper,  and  the  treader  of  grapes  him  that  soweth  seed ; 
and  the  mountains  shall  drop  sweet  wine,  and  all  the  hills 
shall  melt ;”  that  is,  the  days  shall  come,  when  the  grapes 
shall  not  be  gathered,  as  they  were  wont  before  to  be,  in  a 
state  of  immaturity,  for  fear  of  Arabs,  or  other  destroying 
nations;  but  they  shall  be  suffered  to  hang  even  till  the  time 
of  ploughing,  so  perfect  shall  be  the  security  of  those  times. 

We  find  that  in  a province  of  Egypt,  which  is  surrounded 


APPENDIX. 


303 


with  Arabs,  who  frequently  make  excursions  into  it,  espe- 
cially in  the  season  in  which  fruits,  which  it  produces  in 
great  abundance,  begin  to  ripen,  the  inhabitants  are  obliged 
to  gather  them  unripe,  and  send  them  to  Cairo ; and  the 
wine  of  that  province  has  in  consequence  degenerated, 
though  once  remarkable  for  its  excellence.  This  adds  fresh 
force  to  the  promise,  that  the  time  of  treading  grapes  should 
be  delayed  till  they  should  be  in  such  perfection  that  “ the 
mountains  should  drop  sweet  wine.” 

The  vintage  of  Aleppo*  lasts  from  the  15th  of  September 
to  the  same  day  of  November,  and  nothing  is  more  common 
there,  than  this  running  of  the  vintage  and  sowing-season 
into  one,  the  latter  beginning  toward  the  close  of  October, 
and  lasting  all  November;  and  thus  the  treader  of  grapes 
would  continually  overtake,  or  meet,  with  him  that  soweth 
seed. — Harmer's  Observations , vol.  iii.,  pp.  211-214. 

The  grapes  were  trodden  (Isaiah  lxiii,  3;  xvi.  10),  with 
the  feetf  to  make  the  wine.  Dr.  Chandler  thus  describes 
the  beginning  of  the  vintage  he  saw  in  Greece.  “ The 
black  grapes  [were]  spread  on  the  ground  in  beds,  exposed 
to  the  sun  to  dry  for  raisins : while,  in  another  part,  the 
juice  was  expressed  for  wine ; a man,  with  feet  and  legs 
bare,  treading  the  fruit  in  a kind  of  cistern,  with  a hole  or 
vent  near  the  bottom,  and  a vessel  beneath  it  to  receive  the 
liquor. — Harmer's  Observations , vol.  iii.,  p.  274. 

The  tame  cattle  are  very  fond  of  vine-leaves,  and  are 
permitted  to  eat  them  in  the  autumn ; for  about  Smyrna, 
Dr.  Chandler  remarked  that  the  leaves  were  stripped  by  the 
camels  and  herds  of  goats,  who  are  admitted  to  browse 
after  the  vintage.  This  explains  why  Moses,  by  a direct 
law,  forbade  a man’s  causing  another’s  vineyard  to  be  eaten, 
by  putting  in  his  beast.  (Exodus  xxii.  5.) — Harmer's  Ob- 
servations, vol.  iii.,  281,  282. 

The  fox  of  Palestine  is  a.  great  destroyer  of  grapes,  as  of 
old.  (Cant.  ii.  15.) — Rae  Wilson's  Travels , vol.  i.,  p.  394, 
note. 

* The  vegetable  productions  of  Judea  and  Aleppo  are  nearly  com 
temporary.— Harmer's  Observations , i.,  213. 

f Olives  were  in  like  manner  trodden  to  express  the  oil. 


304 


APPENDIX. 


BELLS  WORN  BY  HORSES.  Chap.  XIV. 

Zechariah  xiv.  20. 

“ In  that  day  shall  there  be  upon  the  bells  of  the  horses. 
Holiness  unto  the  Lord.” 

The  charger  which  the  English  consul  at  Damietta  rode 
on,  a remarkably  fine  spirited  animal,  had  a bell  hung 
round  his  neck,  which  brings  us  to  observe  that  in  the 
early  ages  bells  appear  to  have  been  a symbol  of  victory  or 
dominion.  Thus,  as  horses  were  employed  in  war,  and 
distinguished  for  strength,  stateliness,  and  courage,  these 
kind  of  tinkling  cymbals  became  part  of  their  martial  fur- 
niture. The  Jewish  warrior  adorned  his  animal  with  the 
same  ornaments  which  the  prophet  foretells  shall  in  future 
be  consecrated  to  the  service  of  God. — Rae  Wilson's  Travels , 
vol.  i.,  p.  145. 


THE  ARABIAN  CAMEL.  Chap.  XIV. 

Jeremiah  ii.  23. 

“ Thou  art  a swift  dromedary  traversing  her  ways.” 

Over  the  arid  and  thirsty  deserts  of  Asia  and  Africa,  the 
camel  affords  to  man  the  only  means  of  intercourse  between 
one  country  and  another.  The  camel  has  been  created  with 
an  especial  adaptation  to  the  regions  wherein  it  has  con- 
tributed to  the  comfort,  and  even  to  the  very  existence,  of 
man,  from  the  earliest  ages.  It  is  formed  to  endure  the 
severest  hardships;  its  feet  are  made  to  tread  lightly  upon 
a dry  and  shifting  soil;  its  nostrils  have  the  capacity  of 
closing,  so  as  to  shut  out  the  driving  sand,  when  the  whirl- 
wind scatters  it  over  the  desert;  it  is  provided  with  a 
peculiar  apparatus  for  retaining  water  in  its  stomach,  so 
that  it  can  march  from  well  to  well  without  great  incon- 
venience, although  they  be  several  hundred  miles  apart. 
And  thus,  when  a company  of  Eastern  merchants  cross 
from  Aleppo  to  Bussora,  over  a plain  of  sand  which  offers 
no  refreshment,  the  whole  journey  being  eight  hundred 
miles,  the  camel  of  the  heavy  caravan  moves  cheerfully 
along,  with  a burden  of  six  or  seven  hundred  weight,  a $ 


APPENDIX. 


305 


the  rate  of  twenty  miles  a day ; while  those  of  greater  speed, 
that  carry  a man  without  much  other  load,  go  forward  at 
double  that  pace  and  daily  distance.  Patient  under  his 
duties,  he  kneels  down  at  the  command  of  his  driver,  and 
rises  up  cheerfully  with  his  load ; he  requires  no  whip  or 
spur  during  his  monotonous  march ; but,  like  many  other 
animals,  he  feels  an  evident  pleasure  in  musical  sounds ; and 
therefore,  when  fatigue  comes  upon  him,  the  driver  sings 
some  cheering  snatch  of  his  Arabian  melodies,  and  the 
delighted  creature  toils  forward  with  a brisker  step,  till  the 
hour  of  rest  arrives,  when  he  again  kneels  down  to  have 
his  load  removed  for  a little  while ; and  if  the  stock  of  food 
be  not  exhausted,  he  is  further  rewarded  with  a few  mouth- 
fuls of  the  cake  of  barley,  which  he  carries  for  the  suste- 
nance of  his  master  and  himself.  Under  a burning  sun, 
upon  an  arid  soil,  enduring  great  fatigue,  and  seldom  com- 
pletely slaking  his  thirst,  more  than  once  during  a progress 
of  several  hundred  miles,  the  camel  is  patient,  and  appa- 
rently happy.  He  ordinarily  lives  to  a great  age,  and  is 
seldom  visited  by  any  disease. 

Camels  are  of  two  species ; that  with  one  hump  is  usually 
called  the  dromedary — these  are  used  for  riding.  The 
camel  of  the  heavy  caravan,  the  baggage-camel,  may  be 
compared  to  the  dray-horse ; the  dromedary  to  the  hunter, 
and  in  some  instances,  to  the  race-horse.  Messengers  on 
dromedaries,  according  to  Burckhardt,  have  gone  in  eight 
days  the  same  journey  he  has  been  twenty-two  days  accom- 
plishing, and  there  is  an  account  of  a swift  dromedary 
recorded,  who  carried  his  rider  from  Mogadore  to  Morocco, 
the  distance  of  one  hundred  miles,  starting  at  dawn  of  day, 
and  returning  to  Mogadore  the  same  night,  after  the  gates 
were  shut. 

The  average  load  of  the  heavy,  or  slow-going  camel,  is 
from  five  hundred  to  six  hundred  pounds ; sometimes  it 
carries  large  panniers,  filled  with  heavy  goods  ; sometimes 
bales  are  strapped  on  his  back,  fastened  with  cordage  made 
of  the  palm-tree,  or  with  leathern  thongs;  and  sometimes 
two  or  more,  will  bear  a sort  of  litter,  in  which  women  and 
children  ride  with  considerable  ease.  The  expense  of  main- 
taining these  valuable  creatures  is  remarkably  little ; a cake 
of  barley,  a few  dates,  or  a handful  of  beans,  will  suffice, 
in  addition  to  the  hard  and  prickly  shrubs  which  they  find 
in  every  district  but  the  very  wildest  of  the  desert.  They 
26* 


306 


APPENDIX. 


are  particularly  fond  of  those  vegetable  productions  which 
other  animals  would  never  touch,  such  as  plants  which  are 
like  spears  and  daggers,  in  comparison  with  the  needles  of 
the  thistle,  and  which  often  pierce  the  incautious  traveller’s 
boot.  He  might  wish  such  thorns  eradicated  from  the 
earth,  if  he  did  not  behold  the  camel  contentedly  browsing 
upon  them ; for  he  thus  learns  that  Providence  has  made 
nothing  in  vain.  Their  teeth  are  peculiarly  adapted  for 
such  a diet.  Differing  from  all  other  ruminating  tribes, 
they  have  two  strong  cutting  teeth  in  the  upper  jaw ; and 
of  the  six  grinding  teeth,  one  on  each  side,  in  the  same 
jaw,  has  a crooked  form  : their  canine  teeth,  of  which  they 
have  two  in  each  jaw,  are  very  strong ; and  in  the  lower 
jaw  the  two  external  cutting  teeth  have  a pointed  form, 
and  the  foremost  of  the  grinders  is  also  pointed,  and  crooked. 
They  are  thus  provided  with  a most  formidable  apparatus 
for  cutting  and  tearing  the  hardest  vegetable  substance. 
But  the  camel  is,  at  the  same  time,  organized  so  as  to  graze 
upon  the  finest  herbage,  and  browse  upon  the  most  delicate 
leaves ; for  his  upper  lip  being  divided,  he  is  enabled  to  nip 
off  the  tender  shoots,  and  turn  them  into  his  mouth  with 
the  greatest  facility.  Whether  the  sustenance,  therefore, 
which  he  finds,  be  of  the  coarsest  or  the  softest  kind,  he  is 
equally  prepared  to  be  satisfied  with,  and  to  enjoy  it. — See 
Fenny  Magazine , No.  63. 


GREEK  PRONUNCIATION.  Chap.  XVIII. 

Judges  xii.  6. 

“ Then  said  they  unto  him,  Say  now  Shibboleth ; and 
he  said,  Sibboleth : for  he  could  not  frame  to  pronounce  it 
right.” 

The  Greeks  have  not  the  sound  sh  in  their  language; 
hence  they  are  liable  to  be  detected,  like  the  Ephraimites. 
I was  struck  with  this  circumstance  in  learning  Turkish 
from  a Greek  tutor.  Pasha,  he  pronounced  Pasa  ; Shimdi, 
he  called  Simdi ; Dervish , Dervis , &c. ; Shibboleth  he  would, 
of  course,  pronounce  Sibboleth , — Hartley's  Researches , pp. 
210,  211. 


APPENDIX. 


307 


HONORS  PAID  BY  THE  BURMESE  TO  GAUDAMA 

Chap.  XVIII. 

Hosea  ii.  8. 

“ She  did  not  know  that  I gave  her  corn,  and  wine,  and 
oil,  and  multiplied  her  silver  and  gold,  which  they  prepared 
for  Baal.” 

In  describing  the  worship  paid  by  the  Burmese  to  their 
god,  Gaudama  (whose  celebrated  pagoda,  or  temple,  is  near 
the  city  of  Rangoon,  situated  on  a small  hill,  surrounded  by 
many  smaller  pagodas),  Mr.  Malcom  writes : “ I visited 

the  pagoda  frequently,  about  sunrise,  as  it  is  the  only  di- 
rection in  which  one  can  ride.  There  were  always  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  worshippers  scattered  up  and  down,  and  on 
the  regular  worship-days,  several  hundred.  They  come  and 
go  during  the  cool  of  the  morning,  remaining  about  fifteen 
minutes,  and  amounting,  as  I was  told,  on  the  whole  to 
two  or  three  thousand.  Every  one  brings  a present ; often 
a bunch  of  flowers,  or  only  a few  green  twigs,  plucked  on 
the  way ; but  generally  the  nicest  eatables  ready  cooked, 
beautiful  bunches  of  flowers,  articles  of  raiment,  &c.  The 
amount  of  offerings  here  is  very  great.  Stone  vases,  some 
of  which  will  hold  fifty  or  sixty  gallons,  stand  round  the 
pagoda,  into  which  the  devotees  carefully  lay  their  leafy 
plates  of  rice,  plantains,  cakes,  &c.  As  these  are  succes- 
sively filled,  appointed  persons  from  among  the  pagoda 
slaves*  empty  them  into  their  vessels,  assorting  the  various 
kinds.  The  beautiful  flowers  remain  all  night,  and  are 
swept  out  in  the  morning.  The  reproof  of  Jehovah  to 
Israel  by  the  prophet,  often  came  strongly  to  my  mind,  as 
these  crowds  passed  on  with  their  beautiful  flowers,  and 
the  finest  of  the  fruits  of  the  earth: — ‘She  did  not  know 
that  I gave  her  corn,  and  wine,  and  oil,  and  multiplied  her 
silver  and  gold,  which  they  prepared  for  Baal.’  How 
boundless  the  goodness  and  forbearance  of  God  ! ‘ Will  a 

man  rob  God  V Yet  these  rob  him  of  tithes  and  offerings 
bestowed  on  their  senseless  images,  and  take  his  fruits  of 
the  earth  to  do  honor  to  the  things  his  soul  abhors.” — Mai - 
corn's  Travels  in  Southeastern  Asia , vol.  i.,  p.  81. 

* There  are  in  the  vicinity  of  the  hill,  a hundred  and  fifty  families 
of  “ Slaves  of  the  Pagoda,”  who  are  not  allowed  to  marry,  except 
among  themselves. 


308 


APPENDIX. 


OATHS  IN  JUDEA.  Chap.  XVIII. 

Matthew  v.  36. 

“Neither  shalt  thou  swear  by  thy  head,  because  thou 
canst  not  make  one  hair  white  or  black.55 

Mr.  Jowett  writes,  that  on  one  occasion,  when  leaving 
Jerusalem,  his  guide  “laid  both  hands  upon  his  turban,  to 
assure  me,  with  their  usual  oath,  ‘ Upon  my  head,5  that  he 
would  serve  me  faithfully.  This  is  the  commonest  oath  of 
the  country,  4 On  my  head.5’  Another  most  common  oath 
with  the  Arabs  is  W’ Allah  ; an  appeal  to  the  Sacred  Name. 
The  remark,  an  oath  for  confirmation  is  an  end  of  all  strife 
(to  men,  Hebrews  vi.  16),  is  often  curiously  exemplified 
by  the  Arabs,  in  their  most  common  transactions.  After 
wrangling  a long  time,  with  a vehemence  and  a pertinacity, 
which  seem  to  shut  out  all  hope  of  conciliation,  they  will, 
(if  suffered  by  the  traveller  to  take  their  own  time),  sud- 
denly come  to  terms:  their  chief,  who  has  watched  the 
furious  debate,  and  in  good  part  fomented  it,  marks  the 
auspicious  moment,  clenches  the  question,  gives  the  signal 
W’ Allah,  and  at  once  all  is  settled;  every  man  proceeds 
to  his  post,  whether  it  be  loading  or  unloading  animals,  or 
setting  off  on  a journey,  &c.  The  man,  who  a minute 
before  defied  and  insulted  the  traveller  to  his  face,  will  then 
come  smiling  and  fawning  about  him.  It  is  best,  on  these 
occasions,  not  to  contend ; neither  to  rage,  nor  laugh  with 
them.  (Prov.  xkix.  9.) — Jowett’ s Researches  in  Syria,  6fC.y 
p.  269,  note. 


SHRINES.  Chap.  XVIII. 

Acts  xix.  24. 

“ A certain  man  named  Demetrius,  a silversmith,  which 
made  silver  shrines  for  Diana,  brought  no  small  gain  unto 
the  craftsmen.” 

The  false  goddess  Diana  was  worshipped  in  Asia  Minor, 
and  throughout  the  then  known  world,  and  a most  mag- 
nificent temple  was  erected  to  her  at  Ephesus.  The  word 
which  we  translate  shrines,  is  in  the  Greek,  temples . It 
was  the  custom  with  the  Greeks  and  other  heathen  nations 


APPENDIX. 


309 


to  make  little  models  of  a temple,  and  place  a small  image 
therein,  in  order  to  carry  with  them  when  they  travelled  or 
went  to  war,  as  also  for  their  private  devotion  at  home; 
and  indeed,  the  making  such  temples  continues  to  be  the 
custom  in  some  of  the  heathen  nations  to  this  day.  A very 
curious  one  of  this  sort  I have  seen  brought  here  from  the 
East  Indies. — See  Biscoe  on  the  Acts , pp.  274-276. 

Mr.  Jowett  speaks  of  seeing,  among  other  like  articles  of 
sale,  brought  to  Jerusalem  from  a manufactory  at  Beth- 
lehem, a model  in  wood,  inlaid  with  ivory,  of  the  chapel 
built  over  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  “ Of  the  various  trinkets 
which  they  showed,  no  one  served  better  than  this  to  il- 
lustrate the  expression  translated  in  our  English  version, 
‘Silver  shrines  for  Diana;5  the  original  means,  ‘Silver  mod- 
els of  the  temple  of  Diana.5  Whether  made  very  small,  or 
entirely  wrought  in  silver,  or,  if  larger,  inlaid  or  washed 
with  silver,  is  of  little  moment.  In  all  the  Levant,  and  in 
Roman  Catholic  countries,  the  Pagan  traffic,  so  inimitably 
described  by  the  prophet  Isaiah  (xl.  19,  20 ; xli.  6,  7 ; xliv. 
12-17 ; xlvi.  6),  continues  in  full  activity,55 — Jowett's  Re - 
searches , pp.  264,  265. 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


drabs.  Their  hospitality,  i.,  6-8 — Appendix,  291 — Depreda- 
tions, xvi.,  259,  260 — Characteristic  features,  264-267— 
Singular  history  of  the  Arabs  a fulfilment  of  prophecy, 
267-269 — their  mode  of  dwelling  and  of  flight,  xvi., 
260-262 — Arab  tents,  i.,  9,  10;  iii.,  52 — Encampments 
and  journeyings,  xvi.,  262-264,  see  Flocks  and  Herds — - 
Arab  utensils,  iii.,  46,  49,  52,  53 — manner  of  baking  and 
churning,  iii.,  57-59 — Arab  travelling,  ix.,  148,  149 — 
Arab  guides,  see  Guides — Arab  cloak,  vi.,  114 — Extem- 
pore songs  and  tales,  i.,  1 1 — salutations,  iv.,  94 
Agreement , mark  of,  iv.,  101 — manner  of  expressing  it,  xi.,  176, 
177 

Assemblies  of  mourners,  viii.,  136,  137 
Agriculture , x.,  155-171 
Apples , x.,  169,  170 

Ass — wild  ass,  xiv.,  212-214 — white  ass,  214 
Actions , significant,  much  used  in  the  East,  xviii.,  277 
Bottles , leathern,  iii.,  52,  53 
Beds,  iii.,  55,  56 
Baking , iii.,  57,  58 

Birth — manner  of  announcing  it — ceremonies  after  it — See  Chil- 
dren 

Beard — kissing  it  a mark  of  respect,  iv.,  93 — shaving  the  beard, 
vi.,  120-122 

Books  (ancient)  vii.,  128-130 
Baldness  a sign  of  grief,  viii.,  141,  143 
Corner  of  a divan,  the  place  of  honor,  iii.,  54,  55 
Churning , iii.,  58,  59 

Children — manner  of  announcing  the  birth  of  a son  in  Persia, 
iii.,  83,  84 — ceremonies  after  it,  84,  85 — “ bringers  up  of 
children, 55  85,  86 — manner  of  carrying  children,  86 
Customs  relating  to  the  dead , viii.,  136-145 

Com — method  of  gathering,  winnowing,  and  threshing  it,  x., 
159-162 — Appendix,  299 — see  Pits 
Courts  of  justice,  xi.,  181,  182 
Curious  mode  of  decision , xi.,  183 
Crocodiles — method  of  catching  them,  xiv.,  215-219 
Cock-crowing  in  the  East , xiv.,  221 
Citron-tree , x.,  169,  170 


INDEX. 


311 


Climate — heat  and  cold,  xv.,  240,  241 — frost  and  snow,  242,  243 
— wet  seasons,  244 — dry  summers,  249 — See  also  Hail - 
storms  and  Rains 

Caravansaries — Appendix,  29 1 -293 
Camel , Arabian — Appendix,  305-307 
Divans , iii.,  54,  55 

Deputations  of  great  men  a mark  of  honor,  iv.,  87,  88 
Dress,  vi.,  109-126 — splendor  of  the  Eastern  dresses,  123-125 
Drawing  on  tiles,  vii.,  131 
Deserts , xiii.,  202-208 
Dogs,  xiv.,  214,  215 

Eating,  manner  of — men  and  women  eat  separately,  iii.,  59-62 — 
portions  sent  from  the  tables  of  great  men  a mark  of  hon- 
or, iv.,  96 — see  Repasts 
Eyes,  painting  the,  vi.,  118-120 
Enmity,  token  of,  xviii.,  277,  278 
Flowers  used  as  fuel , iii.,  45 

Feasts — invitations  to  them,  iii.,  63,  64 — Persian  feast,  64-67 — 
Egyptian  feast,  67,  68 — feast  of  tabernacles,  69,  70 — 
weaning  feast,  85 — funeral  feasts,  viii.,  142 — see  Passover 
Friendship,  token  of,  iv.,  98-100 — see  Garments 
Feet — kissing  the  feet,  iv.,  92,  93 — concealing,  and  holding  the 
feet,  96 — uncovering  the  feet,  viii.,  141 — Appendix,  297 — • 
see  Respect- 

Footmen  (running),  ix.,  150,  151 
Flocks  and  herds,  xii.,  184-186 
Folds,  see  Sheep 
Fountains,  xiii.,  197,  198 
Flies,  xiv.,  237 
Frost,  see  Climate 

Funerals — Appendix,  296 — see  Feasts 
Fox  of  Palestine,  Appendix,  304 
Guests , customs  in  dismissing,  i.,  10,  1 1 
Gates,  ii.,  20-22 

Garments — presents  of  them  a mark  of  favor,  iv.,  100,  101 — 
flowing  garments,  vi.,  109,  110 — party-colored  garments, 
113,  114 — wedding-garment,  115,  116 
Gardens,  x.,  164 — watering  gardens,  165,  166 
Guides — their  importance,  ix.,  149,  150 
Grafting,  x.,  166 

Grief,  signs  of — see  Customs  relating  to  the  Dead 
Games,  Eastern,  xviii.,  280,  281 
Grass,  Appendix,  300 

Grapes,  laws  concerning  them — their  size — different  kinds  of 
grapes — time  of  their  ripening — vintage — treading  of 
grapes— Appendix,  301,  304 


312 


INDEX. 


Hospitality  of  the  Eastern  nations,  i.,  1-9 — xiii.,  J 96 — see  Ap- 
pendix, 291 

Houses , Eastern,  ii.,  12,  13 — hangings  for  houses,  13,  14 — house- 
tops, 15-18 — house-breaking,  24 — house  of  the  dead,  25, 
26 — dove-houses,  x.,  156-158 — see  also  Roofs 
Horns  used  as  drinking-vessels,  and  for  sacred  purposes,  iii.,  53, 
54 — worn  as  ornaments  and  tokens  of  authority,  vi.,  122, 
123 

Honoring  distinguished  persons , several  ways  of,  iv.,  87-92 — see 
Corner  and  Presents 

Honors  paid  to  Guadama — Appendix,  308 

Hand — kissing  it  a mark  of  respect  and  affection,  iv.,  93,  94 

Hyke , or  upper  garment , vi.,  Ill,  112 

Head s uncovering  the — see  Grief 

Highways , ix.,  153 

Hay  not  used  in  the  East,  10.,  163 

Herds , see  Flocks 

Horse , Arabian,  xiv.,  211,  212 — xvi.,  262 
Horses  ornamented  with  bells — Appendix,  305 
Hunting , see  Partridges 
Hailstorms , xv.,  242-244 
Hiding  treasures — see  Treasures 
Invitations  to  feasts,  &c.,  iii.,  63,  64 
Idolatrous  cuttings  of  the  flesh,  viii.,  142,  143 
Israelites , see  March 
Influence , maternal,  xviii.,  281 
Kneeling  on  the  sea-shore,  ii.,  36,  37 
Kneading-troughs,  iii.,  49 

Kissing — the  feet,  knees,  robe,  beard,  &c.,  methods  of  salutation 
and  marks  of  respect,  iv.,  92-94 — kissing  the  hand  a sign 
of  adoration,  94— kissing  the  ground  a token  of  subjec- 
tion, iv.,  95,  96 

Locks , the  kind  used  in  the  East,  ii.,  20-22 

Lamps , iii.,  49,  50 

Lips , covering  the — see  Grief 

Laborers , mode  of  hiring,  xi.,  175,  176 

Laws , Eastern,  xi.,  182 

Lions , xiv.,  210,  211 

Locusts , xiv.,  227-236 

Locust-tree , xiv.,  237 

Leprosy , xviii.,  273,  274 

Music  used  before  journeys,  i.,  10,  11 — mournful  music  used  on 
solemn  occasions,  viii.,  140 
Mortar , Eastern,  ii.,  23,  24 
Mills , millstones,  iii.,  46-49 
Marriage  ceremonies,  iii.,  81-83 


INDEX. 


313 


Mountains  (written) — see  Writing 

Mourning  women — tumultuous  grief  of  the  mourners,  viii., 
137-141 — forty  days  mourning,  144 — see  also  Assemblies , 
and  Music 

March  of  the  Israelites , ix.,  145-148 
Messengers , ix.,  151-153 
Mustard-seed , x.,  164 
Markets , xi.,  171,  172 
Money -weighing , xi.,  178 
Mountainous  pastures — see  Pastures 
Mirage , xiii.,  208,  209 
Mice , xivx,  226,  227 

Moonlight  prejudicial  in  the  East,  xv.,  239,  240 
Mouth , smiting  on  the,  xviii,  276 
Marks , religious,  xviii.,  284 

Noise  and  tumult  frequent  on  occasions  of  the  death  of  any  per- 
son in  the  East,  viii.,  138-141 
Nails  fixed  in  Eastern  walls — Appendix,  294,  295 
Oak , Gideon’s,  i.,  5,  6 
Oratories , ii.,  36,  37 
Ornaments , vi.,  116-118 

Oxen  used  in  treading  out  grain,  x.,  162,  163 — ox-goad — Appen- 
dix, 298,  299 
Oaths — Appendix,  309 
Pavements , Eastern,  ii.,  23 
Provisions , see  Eating 
Passover , iii.,  70-77 

Presents  to  friends  and  relations — great  men — public  dancers, 
v.,  105-108 — see  also  Garments 
Painting  the  eyes — see  Eyes 

Ploughshares , x.,  155,  156 — ploughing — Appendix,  298 

Pigeon- houses — see  Dove-houses 

Pools  of  Solomon,  xiii.,  198-201 

Pits , xiii.,  201,  202 — pits  for  corn — Appendix,  299 

Partridges , hunting,  xiv.,  220,  221 

Potters , Eastern,  xviii.,  275,  276 

Pronunciation  (Greek) — Appendix,  307 

Roofs,  Eastern,  ii.,  18,  19 — Appendix,  294 

Repasts  on  the  sea-shore,  iii.,  68,  69 

Riding — on  the  royal  horse,  iv.,  88,  89 — manner  of  riding,  ix.,  151 
Respect,  marks  of,  iv.,  92-98 
Reading,  manner  of,  vii.,  130,  131 
Ring,  signet,  vii.,  131,  133 

Rains — early  and  latter  raihs — signs  of  rain,  xv.,  244-249 
Rechabites , xvii.,  270-273 

Religious  customs  in  Judea,  China,  and  Persia,  xviii.,  284,  285 

27 


314 


INDEX. 


Roman  soldiers — military  subordination  among  the  Romans,  xviii., 
285,  286 

Slables , ii.,  24,  25 

Sepulchres , Jewish,  ii,,  28-32 — sepulchres  of  the  kings  of  Judah 
— of  the  judges — Appendix,  293,  294 — see  Tombs 
Seats , stones  used  as,  iii.,  56,  57 

Shoes — putting  off  the  shoes  a mark  of  respect,  iv.,  97,  98 
Salutations , iv.,  102-104 — see  Arabs 
Sealing  with  clay,  vii.,  134 

Sacrifices  sealed  in  Egypt,  vii.,  134*  135 — offered  to  idols  in  high 
places,  xviii.,  283 
Standards,  ix.,  153,  154 

Streets  appropriated  to  particular  trades,  xi.,  171,  172 

Sheep  and  shepherds — sheep-folds,  xiL,  186-190 

Storks,  xiv.,  220 

Serpents,  xiv.,  221-224 

Scorpions,  xiv.,  224-226 

Salt,  xiv.,  238 

Snow — see  Climate 

Seasons — see  Climate 

Simoom,  xv.,  250-253 

Stones  erected  as  memorials,  xviii.,  278,  279 — white  stone,  iv., 
98-100 — see  Seats 

Shrines,  xviii.,  282 — Appendix,  309,  310 
Spoils  suspended  in  sacred  places,  xviii.,  282,  283 
Soldiers — see  Roman  soldiers 

Sitting,  a posture  of  mourning  in  the  East — Appendix,  297,  298 
— see  Customs  relating  to  the  Dead 
Tents , Abraham’s,  i.,  1-3 — striking  the  tents,  9,  10 — hangings 
for  tents,  ii.,  13,  14 
Thresholds,  ii.,  22 
Tombs , Eastern,  ii.,  26-28 
Temple  of  Dagon,  ii.,  32,  33 
Tower  of  Mahanaim,  ii.,  33-35 

Tiles,  drawing  on — see  Drawing — used  for  pavements — see  Pave- 
ment's 

Travelling,  ix.,  145-155 
Threshing — see  Corn 
Tares,  x.,  163,  164 
Trades — see  Streets 
Taskmasters,  xi.,  172-175 
Tax-gatherers,  xi.,  179, 180 
Tartars,  xvi.,  257-259 

Treasures — method  of  hiding  them,  xviii.,  288,  289 
Veil-f ace,  vi.,  115 

Vines  and  Vineyards,  x.,  166,  167,  168 — Appendix,  300-304 


INDEX. 


315 


Walls , Eastern,  ii.,  19,  20 

Water — drawn  by  women,  iii.,  38-40,  41 ; xiii.,  196 — implements 
for  drawing  it,  xiii.,  195 — offered  to  travellers,  iii.,  40,  41 
— water-carriers,  41,  42 
Water-pots  of  Cana,  iii.,  50-52 

Watering , method  of,  x.,  158,  159 — watering  gardens,  165,  166 
Washing,  manner  of — the  hands — feet,  iii.,  42-45 
Wood-  young  men  and  children  taken  to  carry,  iii.,  45,  46 
Wines — Appendix,  303,  304 — wine-presses,  x.,  168,  169 — Ap- 
pendix, 304 — straining  wine,  iii.,  59 
Wedding , Jewish,  iii.,  77-81 

Writing,  various  methods  of — written  mountains — writing  tables, 
vii.,  126-128 
Wells,  xiii.,  191-197 
Water-spouts,  xv.,  253,  254 
Whirlwinds , xv.,  255,  256 

Warfare , barbarous  custom  in  Eastern,  xviii.,  287 


INDEX  OF  TEXTS  ILLUSTRATED 


GENESIS. 

xxvi.  36 

..  ..  Page  13, 14 

xiii,  1-end  . 

Page  184-186 

xxxii.  2 

116,117 

xviii.  1-11 

. . 

1-5 

xxxiii.  4 

136,137 

4 

. 44,45 

6 .. 

.. 

57,  58 

LEVITICUS. 

6-10  .. 

..  62 

ii.  4-7  .. 

57,  58 

xxi.  8 . . 

85 

xi.  33 

..  285 

14  .. 

. 52 

xiii.  45 

140-142 

xxiii.  10,  11 

177 

46 

273 

16  .. 

.. 

..  178 

xiv.  40 

24 

xxiv.  11-22 

38,  39 

xix.  10 

..301 

16-20 

. 196,197 

28 

142,143 

22 

117,  118 

64  . . 

..  98 

NUMBERS. 

65 

115 

ii.  2 

145-148 

xxvi.  15  . . 

. 193,  194 

VI. 

85 

xxvii.  14-18 

. . 

62 

ix.  21 

145-148 

xxviii.  18-22 

..  278,279 

x.  2, 5,  12,27  ..  ..  145-148 

xxix.  2,  3 

.. 

194 

— 31 

149,150 

xxxi.  27  . , 

. 10,11 

xiii.  23 

302 

■ 40 

240,  241 

xvi.  15 

106 

46  .. 

. . 

..  56,57 

xxii.  15 

87, 88 

xxxii.  . . 

148, 149 

7 

..  185,186 

DEUTERONOMY. 

xxxiii.  4 

93,  94 

i.  28 

19,20 

xxxvii.  3 . . 

. 113,114 

viii.  15 

205-226,  207,  224 

12-17 

185,  186 

xi.  10,  11 

..  ..  ..  158,159 

xli.  41,  42 

. 131-133 

— 13,  14 

245-247 

xliii.  34 

. . 

90 

xii.  2,  3 

283 

xlv.  2 

. , 

. 140-142 

xiv.  1 .. 

142,143 

14 

. . 

93,  94 

xxii.  8 

15-17 

22  .. 

. 105 

xxiii.  24 

301 

xlix.  22 

.. 

168 

xxiv.  6 

49 

1.  3 

. 144 

13 

..  ..  Ill 

21 

301 

EXODUS. 

xxv.  4 . . 

162,163 

i.  8-14  .. 

173-175 

xxxii.  5 

284 

iii.  5 

. 97,98 

10 

208 

V. 

172-175 

14 

303 

13,  14 

. 

. 173-175 

ix.  23-25 

. . 

.. 

242-244 

JOSHUA. 

x.  12-15  .. 

, . 

. 

. 231-235 

ii.  6 

15 

xi.  5 

48 

ix.  4 

52,53 

xii.  8-27  . . 

,, 

. 70-77 

x.  11  . . 

243,  244 

11 

111,112 

34  .. 

. . 

. 49 

JUDGES. 

xxi.  24 

,, 

.. 

182 

i.  14 

98 

xxii.  5 

, , 

, 

. 304 

iii.  18  .. 

..  ..  106 

xxiv.  10 

.. 

.. 

23 

— 31 

298,299 

INDEX  OF  TEXTS  ILLUSTRATED. 


317 


iv.  19  . . . . Page  58, 59  1 

2 KINGS. 

v.  10  

. 214 

i.  2 

..  Page  15 

— 30 

113-,  114  1 

iii.  11  . . 

, , . . 

43,44 

vi.  11-19  .. 

. 5,6 

— 17 

. . 

..  247,249 

viii.5,  8,  16, 17  .. 

106 

— 19  .. 

, . „ 

277,  278 
..  12,13 

26  .. 

. 117,118 

iv.  10 

.. 

xii.  6 . . 

307 

— 24  .. 

..  ,, 

151 

xiv.  1-13 

. 81-83 

— 29 

,, 

..  103,104 

XV.  17-19  .. 

197, 198 

v.  5 .. 

. . 

105 

xvi.  27-30 

. 32,33 

— 21 

,, 

..  98 

— 27  .. 

.. 

274 

RUTH. 

vi.  25 

.. 

..  157 

ii.  14 

iii.  2 

62 

. 160,161 

vii.  1 .. 

ix.  2 
— 28  .. 

171 

..  12,13 
293,  294 

— 30 

’ 

..  118-120 

1 SAMUEL. 

22 

x.  5 

85,  86 

i.  9 

-8 

..  287 

-11 

..  84,85 

xix.  26  . . 

252,  253 

- 29 

85 

xxiii.  30  .. 

..  295,296 

vi.  5 .. 

. 226,227 

xxv.  28 

66 

ix.  7 

105-107 

30  .. 

..  65 

— 11 

..  38,39 

x.  27 

106 

EZRA. 

xvi.  13  .. 

..  53,54 

vi.  2 . . . 

128, 129 

xviii.  4 

100, 101 

viii.  16 

. . 

..  178 

6,7  .. 

..  10, 11 

ix.  8 . . 

. . 

294, 295 

xix.  24 

112 

x.  9 

..  241,242 

XX.  30 

..  281 

xxii.  6 . . 

90,  91 

ESTHER. 

xxv.  23 

..  98 

i.  6 

, , 

..  54 

xxvi.  7 

92 

-7 

303 

20 

..  220,221 

vi.  7-9  .. 

..  88, 

89, 100,  101 

xxviii.  23 

54 

vii.  8 . . 

.. 

54,  55 

2 SAMUEL. 

JOB. 

viii.7-11  .. 

..  282,283 

i.  20 

..  140-142 

ix.  1-7.. 

65 

vii.  12  . . 

215-218 

x.  4 

..  120-122 

ix.  25 

. . 

..  151,153 

xi.  2 . . 

15 

xviii.  5,  6 

. • . . 

49,  50 

xiii.  18 

..  113,114 

xix.  23,  24 

. . 

..  126,127 

xvii.  28,  29 

106 

xxi.  17  . . 

49,  50 

xviii.  24-33 

..  33-35 

xxvii.  16  . . 

..  106 

33 

12 

xxix.  6 

.. 

58,  59 

xix.  8 

..  33-35 

10  .. 

..  277 

xx.  9 . . 

92-94 

2.  4,  19,  20 

244 

xxv.  1 

..  25,26 

xxx.  23  . . 

..  26 

xxxi.  26,  27 

. . 

94 

1 KINGS. 

xxxviii.  14 

..  134 

i.  39 

53,  54 

xxxix.  19,  25 

211,212 

ii.  34 

..  26 

xli. 

.. 

..  218,219 

iii.  24-27 

183 

iv.  25 

..  300 

PSALMS. 

— 28 

163 

ix.  15  . . 

,,  ,, 

211 

xiii.  30  .. 

..  137-140 

xxxii.  4 

.. 

..  249 

xiv.  3 .. 

106 

xiii.  7 .. 

.. 

253,  254 

xviii.  28  . . 

..  142,143 

xiv.  9,  13,  14, 

, 15  .. 

..  78-81 

45 

247-249 

lvi.  8 . . 

,, 

136, 137 

—.46  .. 

..  150,151 

lviii.  4,  5 .. 

.. 

..  221-224 

xxii.  11  .. 

123 

lix.  14,  15 

.. 

214,  215 

27* 


318 


INDEX  OF  TEXTS  ILLUSTRATED, 


lx.  8 .. 

. . 

Pa^e  97, 98 

vi.  2 

. . 

Page  96 

lxviii.  13  .. 

„ . 

158 

viii.  1 . . 

128, 129 

Jxix.  28 

126,127 

xvi.  10 

# . 

, m 

301 

lxxii.  9 .. 

.. 

..  95,96 

xvii.  13 

, , 

255,  256 

10 

..  106 

xxi.  1 

. , 

250,  252 

(xxv.  5,  10 

. . 

..  122,123 

xxii.  1 . . 

. . 

17 

lxxviii.  47,  48 

243 

23  .. 

294,  295 

lxxx.  13  .. 

,, 

..  166,167 

xxviii.  28 

163 

lxxxiii.  13 

..  255,256 

xxix.  8 

, . 

204, 205 

lxxxiv.  5-7 

,, 

..  191-193 

xxx.  13 

24 

xcii.  10 

122,123 

24 

,, 

. , 

299 

ciii.  16 

, , 

..  252,253 

xxxii.  2 

, . 

203,  204 

cv.  32  .. 

..  243 

20  .. 

, , 

, . 

155 

cvii.  4,  5 . . 

, , 

..  204.205 

xxxiv.  4 

128, 129 

exxi.  6 . . 

..  239;  240 

xxxv.  7 . . 

203,204 

, 208,  209 

c.xxviii.  3 . . 

, . 

..  168 

xxxvii.  36 

, . 

250, 252 

cxxix.  3 

298 

xxxviii.  12 

9,  10 

6 

18,  19,  159, 160 

xl.  6,  7 

, . 

300 

8 .. 

102 

— 24 

, , 

. . 

255, 256 

cxxxv.  7 . . 

. . 

..  247-249 

xli.  18,  19 

, . 

202-204 

cxlvii.  16,  17 

241,242 

xiiv.  3,4  . . 

, . 

.. 

202-204 

xlvii.  1,  2 

# . 

48 

PROVERBS.- 

xlix.  9,  11 

,, 

. , 

201 

i.  27 

, , 

..  250-252 

10 

## 

203 

vi.  13  .. 

176, 177 

22  .. 

, , 

86 

ix.  2-5  . . 

,, 

..  63 

23 

, . 

95,  96 

xi.  21  .. 

101 

Iii.  2,  10  .. 

. . 

. . 

109, 110 

xiii.  9 .. 

.. 

..  50 

liv.  3 . . 

. , 

2,14 

xvi.  15  . . 

245-247 

lviii.  11 

,, 

164, 165 

xvii.  19 

, , 

..  259,260 

lx. 8 .. 

, . 

156, 157 

xx.  26  . . 

161 

Ixii.  10  .. 

. , 

, . 

153, 154 

xxii.  14 

,, 

..  201.202 

Ixiii.  2 . . 

.. 

303 

xxiii.  27 

202 

13,  14 

. . 

,, 

261,262 

xxv.  11 

,, 

..  169,170 

14 

..  247-249 

JEREMIAH. 

xxvii.  15  . . 

.. 

..  296 

ii.  6 

. . 

. . 

207 

— 21  .. 

, , 

301 

ECCLESIASTES. 

— 23 

305-307 

ii.  4*6 

.. 

..  198-201 

— 24  .. 

212-214 

iii.  5 . . 

.. 

277,278 

iii.  2 

, , 

260 

x.  7 

..  88 

iv.  30  . . 

.. 

119 

xi.  4 

,, 

249 

viii.  7 

, . 

, . 

220 

xii.  6 . . 

.. 

..  165,166 

ix.  2 .. 

, , 

291-293 

x.  13. 

, , 

247-249 

CANTICLES. 

— 17-19 

,, 

137-140 

ii.  3-5  .. 

.. 

159,170 

xiv.  6 .. 

.. 

212-214 

— 9 

,, 

..  81 

xvi.  5-8 

, . 

140-142 

— 15  .. 

.. 

..  304 

6 

, . 

142,  143 

iv.  12  .. 

,, 

194,  199-201 

xvii.  13 

. . 

126, 127 

v.  4 .. 

„ 

..  21,22 

xviii.  1-6  .. 

. , 

275,  276 

vii.  8 

.. 

..  169,170 

xx.  15 

83,  84 

xxii.  18  .. 

.. 

, . 

137-140 

ISAIAH. 

xxv.  10,  11 

48,  50 

ii.  4 

,, 

155,156 

xxxii.  14  .. 

, , 

# , 

129 

iii.  16.  18  .. 

.. 

..  116 

xxxiii.  13 

,, 

188 

— 21'  .. 

.. 

116,117 

xxxv.  5-8,  18 

1,  19 

,, 

.. 

270-272 

— 26 

..  297 

xxxvii.  21 

171,  172 

v.  2 

,, 

..  301,302 

xli.  8 

,, 

,, 

299 

-7 

..  301 

xlix.  8,  30 

, # 

260,  261 

-11  .. 

.. 

..  67 

li.  14 

.. 

.. 

228-231 

INDEX  OF  TEXTS  ILLUSTRATED. 


319 


LAMENTATIONS. 


ii.  3 .. 

Page  122,  123 

— 10 

..  297 

v.  13  .. 

EZEKIEL. 

45,  46 

ii.  9,  10 

128, 129 

iv.  1. 

. . 

. 131 

— 16,  17 

64 

ix.  2-4 

. 132,133 

xii.  18,  19 

64 

xiii.  11 

. 

23,24 

xvi.  12 

.. 

116,117 

xviii.  2 

. • • 

. 302 

xix.  6-8 

. . 

211 

xxiii.  41  . , 

. . . 

. 55 

xxiv.  17 

,, 

140-142 

xxxiii.  30  . 

. 

. 242 

xliii.  8 . . 

DANIEL. 

22 

vii.7 

HOSEA 

. 123 

ii.  8 

308 

vi.  3 

. ..  . 

. 246,247 

x.  1 .. 

. . 

301 

xiv.7 

. 

. 303 

i.  4,  12 

JOEL. 

231-235 

ii.  2-7,  9,  10 

... 

..  231-235 

— 23  .. 

• . . . 

245-247 

iii.  18 

•• 

..  300 

ii.  6 

AMOS. 

107 

— 8 

. . 

..  55 

iii.  8 . . 

.. 

210,211 

— 12 

. , 

..  54,55 

iv.  7,  8 

• • . . 

246,  247 

v.  16  .. 

. . 

..  137-140 

— 19  .. 

,, 

224 

vi.  4 

. . 

..  54 

— 11  .. 

. . . , 

24 

viii.  6 

, . 

..  107 

ix.  13  . . 

.. 

300 

iv.  4 . • 

MICAH. 

..  300 

iii.  17  .. 

NAHUM. 

228-231 

i.8 

— 6-9  .. 

4i.  2 

iii.  16-18 


257-259 

259 

127, 128 
259 


ZEPHANIAH. 

i.8,  9 ..  ..  Page  259, 260 

ZECHARIAH. 


iii.  10  .. 

, . 

63,  64,  300 

ix.  3 

..  23 

x.  4 

, . 

. , 

295 

xiv.  ’6,  17 

..  70 

20 

MALACHI. 

305 

iv.  3 

MATTHEW. 

..  24 

iii.  4 

. , 

227,  228 

v.  36 

309 

vi.  3 . . 

176, 177 

- 28-30  .. 

. . 

..  45 

viii.  9 . . 

286, 287 

ix.  9 

. . 

..  179,  181 

— 15  .. 

, . 

78-81 

— 23 

. . 

..  140-142 

x.  12  .. 

. . 

66 

— 27 

. , 

. 17-18 

xiii.  25 

163, 164 

31,  32 

. . 

. 164 

xiv.7  .. 

. , 

107 

xviii.  26-29 

. 92-94 

xx.  3,  6,  7 

. . 

175, 176 

xxi.  8 

. . 

112 

17 

12,  13,  17 

33  .. 

..  168,169 

33-41 

.. 

303 

xxii.  11,  12 

. 115,116 

17,  20 

77 

24  .. 

. . 

. 54 

xxiii.  24 

59 

27,  29 

..  26-28 

xxiv.  17 

. . 

17 

20  .. 

.. 

..  241,242 

41 

46,  47 

43  .. 

24 

xxv.  6 . . 

. . 

78-81 

10  .. 

. . 

83 

18 

288,  289 

32  .. 

. , 

. . 188,  189 

xxvi.  23 

. . 8,  59-62 

, 74,  76,  77 

xxvii.  59,  60 

..  29-32 

61 

. . 

299 

xxviii.  9 . , 

MARK. 

..  96 

ii.  11  .. 

55,  56 

v.  2-5  . . 

.. 

..  28,29 

ix.  41  .. 

. . 

40,41 

— 50 

. . 

..  238 

xii.  39  . . 

.. 

66 

xiii.  35 

.. . 

..  221 

xiv.  3 . . 

. . 

107 

30  .. 

,, 

..  221 

51 

.. 

112 

HABAKKUK. 


320 


INDEX  OF  TEXTS  ILLUSTRATED, 


LUKE. 


i.  26,  27 

. 

..  Page  77-81 

— 69 

. . 

. 122,  123 

ii.7  .. 

24,25 

— 42 

t>  . 

. 284 

v.  8 

92-94 

— 19 

..  15-17 

vi.  38  .. 

113 

— 49 

. 244,245 

vii.  12-15 

296 

44  .. 

44,45 

45 

92-94 

viii.  44 

92-94 

x.  4 .. 

103, 104 

xii.  3 • » 

15 

35-37 

111,112 

xiv.  7-12  » . 

*•  . 

64-66 

16,  17 

65 

xv.  13  .. 

67,68 

— 16  .. 

237 

— 20 

93,94 

xvi.  5,  8 

181,  182 

xvii.  2 

.. 

. 47,48 

xviii.  10-14 

180 

13  .. 

. 136 

xxii.  17-20 

71-77 

xxiii.  48  . . 

JOHN. 

. 136,137 

ii.  6 

50-52 

iv.  7 

. 39,40 

— 10,  11 

194, 195 

vi.  27 

. 134,135 

— 49-51 

71-77 

vii.  37-39  . . 

. 69,70 

viii.  6 . . 

126, 127 

x.  1 

. 190 

-3-5  .. 

186-188 

xiii.  4 

.. 

. 112 

10 

42,  43 

25-27 

. 59-62 

xiv.  27  . . 

102-104 

xv.  1,  5,  8 .. 

.. 

. 301 

— 2 .. 

166 

xix.  23 

. 114 

41,  42 

. , 

30-32 

xx.  19 

. 102-104 

xxi.  3-13 

. , 

68,  69 

7 

.. 

. 112 

ACTS. 

viii.  27-30 

..  Page  130,131 

ix.  37 

, . ... 

13 

x.  9 .. 

. . 

15-17 

xii.  8 

. . 

112 

10 

.. 

20-22 

xvi.  13 

, . 

36,  37 

xix.  24  . . 

282, 

, 309, 310 

xx.  8,  9 

. , 

12, 13 

— 36-38 

36 

— 37 

.. 

93,94 

xxi.  5 . . 

.. 

36,37 

xxiii.  2 

ROMANS. 

276 

xi.  17-24 

166 

1 CORINTHIANS. 

ix.  7 

EPHESIANS. 

189 

v.  19  .. 

COLOSSIANS. 

10,11 

iii.  16 

1 TIMOTHY 

10,11 

ii.  9 .. 

.. 

125 

v.  10 

2 TIMOTHY. 

44,45 

ii.  3 

. , 

285,  286 

iv.  7 

HEBREWS. 

280, 281 

vi.  16  . . 

1 PETER. 

309 

iii.  3 

. . . , 

123, 124 

v.  2,  4 .. 

REVELATION. 

189, 190 

ii.  17 

. , . . .. 

98-100 

v.  1 .. 

.. 

129, 130 

vi.  14 

128,  129 

vii.  3 . . 

• * •• 

132,133 

— 17 

. , . , . . 

203, 204 

ix.  7 .. 

. . . . 

232, 235 

xiii.  1,  11 

, . ..  . , 

123 

xviii.  22 

• • • • 

48 

xix.  7-9 

..  ,,  ,, 

78-81 

12 

.. 

98-100 

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To  the  student  either  of  civil  or  religious  history  no  epoch  can  be  of  more 
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ed by  them  to  continue  the  work.  In  continuing  it  he  had  the  assistance  of 
the  most  learned  and  eminent  divines  of  his  time  ; and  he  confesses  his  in- 
debtedness for  important  aid  to  Lloyd,  Tillotson  and  Stillingfleet, 
three  of  the  greatest  of  England’s  Bishops.  “ I know,”  says  he,  in  his  Pre- 
face to  the  second  volume,  “ that  nothing  can  more  effectually  recommend 
this  work,  than  to  say  that  it  passed  with  their  hearty  approbation,  after 
they  had  examined  it  with  that  care  which  their  great  zeal  for  the  cause  con 
cerned  in  it,  and  their  goodness  to  the  author  and  freedom  with  him,  obliged 
them  to  use.” 

The  present  edition  of  this  great  work  has  been  edited  with  laborious 
care  by  Dr.  Nares,  who  professes  to  have  corrected  important  errors  into 
which  the  author  fell,  and  to  have  made  such  improvements  in  the  order  of 
the  work  as  will  render  it  far  more  useful  to  the  reader  or  historical  student. 
Preliminary  explanations,  full  and  sufficient  to  the  clear  understanding  of 
the  author,  are  given,  and  marginal  references  are  made  throughout  the 
book,  so  as  greatly  to  facilitate  and  render  accurate  its  consultation.  The 
whole  is  published  in  four  large  octavo  volumes  of  six-  hundred  pages  in 
each — printed  upon  heavy  paper  in  large  and  clear  type.  It  contains  por- 
traits of  twenty-four  of  the  most  celebrated  characters  of  the  Reformation, 
and  is  issued  in  a very  neat  style.  It  will  of  course  find  a place  in  every 
theologian’s  library — and  will,  by  no  means,  we  trust,  be  confined  to  that 
comparatively  limited  sphere. 


16 


APPLETON’S 

TALES  FOR  THE  PEOPLE 

AND  THEIR  CHILDREN. 


The  greatest  care  has  been  taken  in  selecting  the  works  of  which 
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The  following-  are  comprised  in  the  series,  uniform  in  size  and  style  : — 

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By  Mrs.  Copley.  37!  cents. 

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Harriet  Martineau.  37!  cents. 

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HOPE  ON,  HOPE  EVER ; or  the  Boyhood  of  Felix  Law.  By  Mary 
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Howitt.  37!  cents. 

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ALICE  FRANKLIN  By  Mary  Howitt. 

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THE  DANGERS  OF  DINING  OUT  ; or,  Hints  to  those  who  would 
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be  owned  by  every  parent  who  wishes  that  the  moral  and  intellectual  im- 
provement of  his  children  should  keep  pace  with  their  growth  in  years,  and 
the  development  of  their  physical  powers.” — Boston  Times. 


D.  Appleton  cj-  Co.'s  Catalogue  of  Valuable  Works.  5 


CHURCHMAN’S  LIBRARY. 

The  volumes  of  this  series  are  of  a standard  character  and  highly  recom- 
mended by  the  Bishops  and  Clergy  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church. 

THE  PRACTICAL  CHRISTIAN; 

Or,  Devout  Penitent.  By  R.  Sherlocke,  D.D.,  with  a Life  of  the  Author,  by 
the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  Wilson.  One  elegant  volume.  16mo.  75  cents. 

THE  CHURCHMAN’S  COMPANION  IN  THE  CLOSET ; 

Or,  a Complete  Manual  of  Private  Devotions.  Collected  from  the  writings  of 
Archbishop  Laud,  Bishop  Andrewes,  Bishop  Ken,  Dr.  Hickes,  Mr.  Kettle- 
well,  Mr.  Spinckes,  and  other  eminent  old  English  Divines.  With  a Pre- 
face by  Rev.  Mr.  Spinckes.  Edited  by  Francis  E.  Paget,  M.  A.  One  ele- 
gant volume,  16mo.  $1  00. 

OF  THE  IMITATION  OF  CHRIST. 

Four  books,  by  Thomas  a Kempis,  a new  and  complete  edition,  elegantly 
printed.  1 vol.  16mo.  $1  00. 

THE  EARLY  ENGLISH  CHURCH; 

Or,  Christian  History  of  England  in  early  British,  Saxon,  and  Norman  Times. 
By  the  Rev.  Edward  Churton,  M.A.  With  a Preface  by  the  Right  Rev. 
Bishop  Ives.  1 vol.  16mo.,  elegantly  ornamented.  $1  00 

LEARN  TO  DIE. 

Disce  Mori,  Learn  to  Die  : a Religious  Discourse,  moving  every  Christian 
man  to  enter  into  a serious  Remembrance  of  his  End.  By  Christopher  Sut 
ton,  D.D.,  late  Prebend  of  Westminster.  1 vol.  16mo.,  elegantly  orna- 
mented. $1  00. 


SACRA  PRI  VATA  : 

The  Private  Meditations,  Devotions,  and  Prayers  of  the  Right  Rev.  T.  Wil- 
son, D.D.,  Lord  Bishop  of  Soder  and  Man.  First  complete  edition.  1 vol. 
royal  16mo.,  elegantly  ornamented.  $1  00. 

MEDITATIONS  ON  THE  SACRAMENT. 

Godly  Meditations  upon  the  most  Holy  Sacrament  of  the  Lord’s  Supper.  By 
Christopher  Sutton,  D.D.,  late  Prebend  of  Westminster.  1 vol.  royal  16mo., 
elegantly  ornamented.  $1  00. 

A DISCOURSE  CONCERNING  PRAYER 

And  the  frequenting  Daily  Public  Prayer.  By  Symon  Patrick,  D.D.,  sometime 
Lord  Bishop  of  Ely.  Edited  by  Francis  E.  Paget,  M.A.,  Chaplain  to  the 
Lord  Bishop  of  Oxford.  1 vol.  royal  16mo.,  elegantly  ornamented.  75  cents. 

THOUGHTS  IN  PAST  YEARS. 

A beautiful  collection  of  Poetry,  chiefly  Devotional.  By  the  author  of  “ The 
Cathedral.”  1 vol.  royal  16mo.,  elegantly  printed.  $1  25. 

THE  CHRISTMAS  BELLS: 

A Tale  of  Holy  Tide,  and  other  Poems.  By  the  author  of  " Constance,'* 
“Virginia.”  too  1 vol.  royal  16mo.,  elegantly  ornamented.  75  cents. 

*,*  Thpse  volume*  will  be  followed  by  others  of  equal  importance 


14  D.  Appleton  Co.'s  Catalogue  of  Valuable  Works. 


MINIATURE  CLASSICAL  LIBRARY. 

This  unique  Library  will  comprise  the  best  works  of  the  best 
authors  in  prose  and  poetry ; published  in  an  elegant  form, 
with  a beautiful  frontispiece,  tastefully  ornamented.  The 
following  are  now  ready  : 

GOLDSMITH  .—Essays  on  Various  Subjects.  By  Oliver  Gold- 
smith. 37|  cents. 

GOLDSMITH.— The  Vicar  of  Wakefield.  By  Oliver  Goldsmith. 
37!  cents. 

JOHNSON.— The  History  of  Rasselas,  Prince  of  Abyssinia. 
A Tale.  By  Samuel  Johnson,  LL.D.  37!  cents. 

COTTI  N .—Elizabeth,  or,  the  Exiles  of  Siberia.  By  Madame 
Cottin.  The  extensive  popularity  of  this  little  Tale  is  well  known.  31!  cts. 
TOKEN  OF  REMEMBRANCE. 

TOKEN  OF  AFFECTION. 

TOKEN  OF  FRIENDSHIP. 

TOKEN  OF  THE  HEART. 

Each  volume  consists  of  appropriate  Poetical  extracts  from  the  principal 
writers  of  the  day.  31!  each. 

PURE  GOLD  FROM  THE  RIVERS  OF  WISDOM.  A collection 
of  short  extracts  on  religious  subjects  from  the  older  writers,  Bishop  Hall, 
Sherlock,  Barrow,  Paley,  Jeremy  Taylor,  &c.  31!  c«nts. 

ST.  PI  ER  R E.—  Paul  and  Virginia.  From  the  French  of  J.  B.  H 
De  St.  Pierre.  31!  cents. 

H.  MORE’S  Private  Devotions.  Complete.  31!  cents. 

THE  SEASONS — By  James  Thomson.  37!  cents. 

GEMS  FROM  AMERICAN  PO ETS.— 37!  cents. 

CLARKE’S  Scripture  Promises.  Complete.  37!  cents. 

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sU3[K1l1  ©ip1  a Their  Position  in 

Society,  Character,  and  Responsibilities.  By  Mrs.  Ellis,  author  of  “ The 
Women  of  England.”  Complete  in  one  handsome  volume,  12mo.  50  cts 

“O' HU  WOWd©  ©IF  a Their  relative  Duties,  Do 

rnestic  Influences  and  Social  Obligations.  By  Mrs.  Ellis,  author  of 
“ The  Women  of  England,”  “The  Daughters  of  England.”  In  one 
handsome  volume,  12mo.  50  cents. 

THd  ©[?  HK!®[L£\K1[D  3 Their  Social  Duties  and 

Domestic  Habits.  By  Mrs.  Ellis.  One  handsome  volume,  12mo.  50  cts. 

H © QHI d 01  II  ©Mo  By  Isaac  Taylor,  author  of  “Natural 

History  of  Enthusiasm,”  &c.  &c.  Second  edition.  1 vol.  12mo.  $1  00. 
“ In  this  volume  the  general  principles  of  Education,  as  applicable  to  private  families  and 
to  small  schools,  are  stated  and  explained  ; such  methods  of  treatment,  especially,  being  sug- 
gested as  are  best  suited  to  the  circumstances  of  a country  residence;  at  the  same  time,  hints 
are  offered  of  a kind  to  be  available  under  any  circumstances  for  carrying  on  the  culture  of 
those  of  the  intellectual  faculties  that  are  the  earliest  developed,  and  on  the  due  expansion  ol 
which  the  force  and  efficiency  of  the  mature  mind  depend.” 

“Avery  enlightened,  just,  and  Christian  view  of  a most  important  subject.” — American 
Biblical  Repository . 

[LDIfflnTATl,D<§>N8  HOTAM  Ed§P©M©Q[i[][LQWQ 

By  Francis  Wayland,  D.D.  Second  edition,  1 vol.  18mo. 

ILOPBo  By 

Isaac  Taylor,  author  of  Natural  History  of  Enthusiasm.”  Tlurd  edition. 

1 vol.  12mo.  875  cents. 

“ One  of  the  most  learned  and  extraordinary  works  of  modern  times.” 


D.  Appleton  Co.'s  Catalogue  of  Valuable  Works.  9 

Cabinet  Edition  of  the  Poets. 


COWPER’S  COMPLETE  POETICAL 
WORKS. 

The  complete  Poetical  Works  of  William  Cowper,  Esq.,  including 
the  Hymns  and  Translations  from  Mad.  Guion,  Milton,  &c.,  and 
Adam,  a Sacred  Drama,  from  the  Italian  of  Battista  Andreini, 
with  a Memoir  of  the  Author,  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Stebbing,  A.M. 
Two  elegantly  printed  volumes,  400  pages  each,  16mo.,  with 
beautiful  frontispieces.  $1  75. 

This  is  the  only  complete  American  edition. 

Morality  never  found  in  genius  a more  devoted  advocate  than  Cowper,  nor 
has  moral  wisdom,  in  its  plain  and  severe  precepts,  been  ever  more  success- 
fully combined  with  the  delicate  spirit,  of  poetry,  than  in  his  works.  He 
was  endowed  with  all  the  powers  which  a poet  could  want  who  was  to  be  the 
moralist  of  the  world — the  reprover,  but  not  the  satirist,  of  men — the  teacher 
of  simple  truths,  which  were  to  be  rendered  gracious  without  endangering 
their  simplicity. 

BURNS’  COMPLETE  POETICAL 
WORKS. 

The  complete  Poetical  Works  of  Robert  Burns,  with  Explanatory 
and  Glossarial  Notes,  and  a Life  of  the  Author,  by  James  Cur- 
rie, M.D.  1 vol.  16mo.  $1  25. 

This  is  the  most  complete  edition  which  has  been  published,  and  contains 
the  whole  of  the  poetry  comprised  in  the  edition  lately  edited  by  Cunningham, 
as  well  as  some  additional  pieces  ; and  such  notes  have  been  added  as  are  cal- 
culated to  illustrate  the  manners  and  customs  of  Scotland,  so  as  to  render  the 
whole  more  intelligible  to  the  English  reader. 

“ No  poet,  with  the  exception  of  Shakspeare,  ever  possessed  the  power  ol 
exciting  the  most  varied  and  discordant  emotions  with  such  rapid  transitions.” 
— Sir  W.  Scott. 

MILTON’S  COMPLETE  POETICAL 
WORKS. 

The  complete  Poetical  Works  of  John  Milton,  with  Explanatory 
Notes  and  a Life  of  the  Author,  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Stebbing, 
A.M.  Beautifully  illustrated.  1 vol.  16mo.  $1  25. 

The  Latin  and  Italian  Poems  are  included  in  this  edition. 

Mr.  Stebbing’s  notes  will  be  found  very  useful  in  elucidating  the  learned 
allusions  with  which  the  text  abounds,  and  they  are  also  valuable  for  the 
correct  appreciation  with  which  the  writer  directs  attention  to  the  beau- 
ties of  the  author. 

SCOTT’S  POETICAL  WORKS. 

The  Poetical  Works  of  Sir  Walter  Scott,  Bart. — Containing  Lay 
of  the  Last  Minstrel,  Marmion,  Lady  of  the  Lake,  Don  Rode- 
rick, Rokeby,  Ballads.  Lyrics,  and  Songs,  with  a Life  of  the 
Author.  Uniform  with  Cowper,  Burns,  &c.  1 vol.  16mo  Si  25. 

“ Wal-ter  Scott  is  the  most  popular  of  all  the  poets  of  the  present  day,  and  de- 
servedly so.  He  describes  that  which  is  most  easily  and  generally  understood 
with  more  vivacity  and  effect  than  any  other  writer.  His  style  is  clear,  flowir  g 
and  transparent ; his  sentiments,  of  which  his  style  is  an  easy  and  natural  me 
ilium,  are  common  to  him  with  his  readers.” — Hazlitt. 


D.  Appleton  Co.'s  Catalogue  of  Valuable  Works.  16 


A LIBRARY  FOR  MY  YOUNG  COUNTRYMEN. 

This  Library  is  confided  to  the  editorial  care  of  one  of  the  most  successful 
writers  of  the  day,  and  commends  itself  as  presenting  to  the  readers  of  this 
country  a collection  of  books,  chiefly  confined  to  American  subjects  of  his- 
torical interest. 

The  following  volumes  are  now  ready , price  37£  cents  each. 

THE  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  HENRY  HUDSON.  By  the  author 
of  “Uncle  Philip,”  “Virginia,”  &c. 

ADVENTURES  OF  CAPTAIN  JOHN  SMITH;  Founder  of  Virginia.  By 
the  author  of  “ Henry  Hudson,”  &c. 

DAWN1NGS  OP  GENIUS.  By  Anne  Pratt,  author  of  “Flowers  and  their 

LIFE° AND  ADVENTURES  OF  HERMAN  CORTES.  By  the  author  of 
the  “ Adventures  of  Captain  John  Smith,”  &c. 

THE  ADVENTURES  OF  DANIEL  BOONE,  the  Kentucky  Rifleman.  By 
the  author  of  “ Henry  Hudson,”  &c. 

EU*  Several  other  volumes  are  in  immediate  preparation. 

EVENINGS  WITH  THE  CHRONICLERS ; 

Or  Uncle  Rupert’s  Tales  of  Chivalry.  By  R.  M.  Evans.  With  many  Illus- 
trations. 1 vol.  lflmo.,  elegantly  bound.  $0  75. 

“ This  would  havo  been  a volume  after  our  own  hearts,  while  we  were  younger,  and  it  is  scarcely 
less  so  now  when  we  are  somewhat  older.” — Cour.  Sf  Enq. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  JOAN  OF  ARC. 

By  R.  M.  Evans,  author  of  “ Evenings  with  the  Chroniclers,”  with  twenty- 
four  elegant  Illustrations.  1 vol.  16mo.  Extra  gilt.  $0  75. 

“The  incident  upon  which  this  work  is  founded,  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  remarkable 
that  history  has  preserved  to  us.” — Albany  Advertiser. 

' SPRING,  SUMMER,  AUTUMN,  AND  WINTER. 

The  Juvenile  Naturalist ; or  Walks  in  the  Country.  By  the  Rev.  B.  H.  Draper. 
A beautiful  volume,  with  nearly  fifty  plates.  2 vols.  square,  handsomely 
bound.  $0  50  each. 

THE  YOUNG  ISLANDERS. 

A Tale  of  the  Last  Century  By  Jeffreys  Taylor.  1 vol.  16mo.,  beautifully 
illustrated.  75  cents.  This  fascinating  and  elegantly  illustrated  volume 
for  the  young,  is  pronounced  to  be  equal,  if  not  superior  to  De  Foe’s  immor- 
tal work,  “ Robinson  Crusoe.” 

KEIGHTLEY’S  MYTHOLOGY  FOR  SCHOOLS. 

The  Mythology  of  Ancient  Greece  and  Italy,  designed  for  the  use  of  Schools. 
By  Thomas  Keightley.  Numerous  wood-cut  Illustrations.  1 vol.  18mo. 
half  bound.  44  cents. 

IIAZEN’S  SYMBOLICAL  SPELLING  BOOK. 

The  SymDolical  Spelling-Book,  in  two  parts.  By  Edw.  Hazen.  Containing 
288  engravings.  18i  cents.  This  work  is  used  in  upwards  of  1000  different 
Schools,  and  pronounced  to  be  one  of  the  best  works  published. 

THE  BOY’S  MANUAL. 

Comprising  a Summary  View  of  the  Studies,  Accomplishments,  and  Principles 
of  Conduct,  best  suited  for  promoting  Respectability  and  Success  in  Life. 
Elegantly  engraved  frontispiece.  1 vol.  18mo.  50  cents. 

THE  GIRL’S  MANUAL. 

Comprising  a Summary  View  of  Female  Studies,  Accomplishments,  and  Prin- 
ciples of  Conduct.  Beautiful  frontispiece.  1 vol.  18mo.  50  cents. 

THE  OLD  OAK  TREE. 

A most  interesting  little  volume  of  practical  instruction  for  youth  ; illustrated 
with  nearly  fifty  plates.  37 f cents. 


6 D.  Appleton  if  Co.'s  Catalogue  of  Valuable  Works. 

SCRIPTURE  AND  GEOLOGY. 

On  the  Relation  between  the  Holy  Scriptures  and  some  parts  of  Geologicsi 
Science.  By  John  Pye  Smith,  D.D.,  author  of  the  “ Scripture  Testimony 
of  the  Messiah,”  &c.  &c.  1 vol.  12mo.  $1  25. 

“ The  volume  consists  of  eight  lectures,  to  which  are  appended  seventy 
pages  of  supplementary  notes.  The  first  lecture  is  introductory;  the  second 
is  scientifically  descriptive  of  the  principal  topics  of  geological  science  ; the 
third  includes  a research  into  the  creation  of  our  globe  ; the  fourth  and  fifth 
lectures  comprise  an  examination  of  the  deluge  ; the  sixth  discusses  the  appa- 
rent dissonance  between  the  decisions  of  geologists,  and  the  hitherto  re- 
ceived interpretation  of  Scripture,  with  an  additional  exposition  of  the  diluvial 
theory  ; the  seventh  is  devoted  to  illustration  of  the  method  to  interpret  the 
Scriptures,  so  that  they  may  harmonize  with  the  discoveries  of  geology ; the 
eighth  is  the  peroration  of  the  whole  disquisition. 

WORKS  BY  THE  REV.  DR.  SPRAGUE. 

TRUE  AND  FALSE  RELIGION. 

Lectures  illustrating  the  Contrast  between  True  Christianity  and  various- 
other  systems.  By  William  B.  Sprague,  D.D.  1 vol.  12mo.  $100. 

LECTURES  ON  REVIVALS  IN  RELIGION. 

By  W.  B,  Sprague,  D.D.  With  an  Introductory  Essay  by  Leonard 
Woods,  D.D.  1 vol.  12mo.  87i  cents. 

LETTERS  TO  A DAUGHTER 

On  Practical  Subjects.  By  W.  B.  Sprague,  D.D.  Fourth  edition,  revised 
and  enlarged.  1 vol.  12mo.  75  cents. 

LECTURES  TO  YOUNG  PEOPLE. 

By  W.  B.  Sprague,  D.D.  With  an  Introductory  Address.  By  Samuel 
Miller,  D;D.  Fourth  edition.  1 vol;  12mo.  87t  cents. 

The  writings  of  Dr.  Sprague  are  too  well  known,  and  too  highly  estimated 
by  the  Christian  community  generally,  to  require  any  other  encomium  than 
is  furnished  by  their  own  merits  ; for  this  reason  it  is  thought  unnecessary  to 
subjoin  the  favourable  testimonies  borne  to  their  utility  and  excellence  by  the 
whole  circle  of  the  periodical  press  of  this  country,  and  the  fact,  that  they 
have  each  passed  through  several  editions  in  England,  sufficiently  attests  the 
estimation  in  which  they  are  held  abroad. 

SPIRITUAL  CHRISTIANITY. 

Lectures  on  Spiritual  Christianity.  By  Isaac  Taylor,  author  of  “ Spiritual 
Despotism,”  &c.  &c.  1 vol  12mo.  75  cents. 

“ This  work  is  the  production  of  one  of  the  most  gifted  and  accomplished 
minds  of  the  present  age.  If  some  of  his  former  productions  may  have  been 
thought  characterized  by  too  much  metaphysical  abstraction,  and  in  some  in- 
stances, by  speculations  of  doubtful  importance  the  present  volume  is,  we 
think,  in  no  degree  liable  to  this  objection.  It  is  indeed  distinguished  for  deep 
thought  and  accurate  discrimination;  and  whoever  would  read  it  to  advantage, 
must  task  his  faculties  in  a much  higher  degree,  than  in  reading  ordinary 
books  : and  yet  it  contains  nothing  which  an  ordinary  degree  of  intelligence 
and  application  may  not  readily  comprehend.  The  view  which  it  gives  of 
Christianity,  both  as  a system  of  truth  and  a system  of  duty,  is  in  the  highest 
degree  instructive  ; and  its  tendencies  are  not  less  to  quicken  the  intellectual' 
faculties,  than  to  direct  and  elevate  the  moral  sensibilities.  We  have  no  doubt 
that  it  will  be  read  with  great  interest  by  those  who  read  to  find  materials 
for  thought,  and  that  it  is  destined  to  exert  a most  important  influence,  espe- 
cially on  the  more  intellectual  classes  in  the  advancement  of  the  interests  of 
truth  and  piety.” — Albany  Evening  Journal. 


D.  Appleton  <£•  Co.’s  Catalogue  of  Valuable  Works. 


Works  by  the  Rev.  John  Angell  James. 

THE  TRUE  CHRISTIAN. 

By  the  Rev.  John  Angell  James.  With  an  Introduction  by  the  Rev.  Wm. 

Adams.  1 vol.  18mo  $0  50. 

“ We  opine  that  the  publishers  of  this  volume  made  an  accurate  calculation  when  they 
labelled  these  4 Addresses  '—stereotyped ; for  they  are  among  the  choice  effusions  which 
already  have  so  highly  benefited  Christian  society  from  the  noble  heart  and  richly- 
endowed  mind  of  Mr.  James.  They  are  ministerial  counsels  to  the  members  of  nis  congre 
gation,  and  are  offered  as  monthly  epistles  for  a year,  being  twelve  in  number,  and  are  thus 
entitled:  ‘Increased  Holiness  of  the  Church;  Spirituality  of  Mind:  Heavenly  Minded- 
ness; Assurance  of  Hope;  Practical  Religion  seen  in  every  thing:  A Profitable  Sabbath; 
Christian  Obligations ; Life  of  Faith;  Influence  of  elder  Christians;  Spirit  of  Prayer  ; Pri- 
vate Prayer,  and  Self-Examination.’  ” — Christian  Intelligencer. 

THE  YOUNG-  MAN  FROM  HOME. 

In  a series  of  Letters,  especially  directed  for  the  Moral  Advancement  of  Youth. 

By  the  Rev.  John  Angell  James.  Tenth  edition.  1 vol.  18mo.  37£  cts. 

“This  work,  from  the  able  and  prolific  peu  of  Mr.  James,  is  not  inferior,  we  think,  to  any 
of  its  predecessors.  It  contemplates  a young  man  at  the  most  critical  period  of  life,  and 
meets  him  at  every  point  as  a guide  in  the  paths  of  virtue,  as  a guard  from  the  contagious 
influence  of  vice.” — Albany  Advertiser. 

THE  CHRISTIAN  PROFESSOR, 

Addressed  in  a series  of  Counsels  and  Cautions  to  the  Members  of  Christian 

Churches.  By  the  Rev.  John  Angell  James.  1 vol.  18mo.  62£  cents. 

“ The  author  remarks  in  this  excellent  volume:  4 When  I look  into  the  New  Testament 
and  read  what  a Christian  should  be,  and  then  look  into  the  Church  of  God,  and  see  what 
Christians  are,  I am  painfully  affected  by  observing  the  dissimilarity  ; and  m my  jealousy  for 
the  honour  of  the  Christian  profession,  have  made  this  effort,  perhaps  a feeble  one,  and  cer- 
tainly an  anxious  one,  to  remove  its  blemishes,  to  restore  its  impaired  beauty,  and  thus  raise 
its  reputation.’  ” 

THE  ANXIOUS  ENQUIRER  AFTER  SALVATION 
Directed  and  Encouraged.  By  the  Rev.  John  Angell  James.  1 vol. 

18mo.  cents. 

Twenty  thousand  copies  of  this  excellent  little  volume  have  already  been 
sold,  which  fully  attests  the  high  estimation  the  work  has  attained  with  the 
religious  community. 

HAPPINESS,  ITS  NATURE  AND  SOURCES. 

By  the  Rev.  J.  A.  James.  1 vol.  32mo.  25  cents. 

“ This  is  written  in  the  excellent  author’s  best  vein.  He  has,  with  a searching  fidelity, 
exposed  the  various  unsatisfying  expedients  by  which  the  natural  heart  seeks  to  attain  the 
great  end  and  aim  of  all — happiness,  and  wuh  powerful  and  touching  exhortations  directed  it 
to  the  uever-failing  source  of  all  good.” — Evange>ist. 

THE  WIDOW  DIRECTED 

To  the  Widow’s  God.  By  the  Rev.  John  A.  James.  1 vol.  18mo.  371  cents. 

44  The  book  is  worthy  to  be  read  by  others  besides  the  class  for  which  it  is  especially  de- 
signed ; and  we  doubt  not  that  it  destined  to  come  as  a friendly  visitor  to  many  a house  of 
Mourning,  and  as  a healing  balm  to  many  a wounded  heart” — N.  Y.  Observer. 


CR  U DEN’S  CONCORDANCE. 

Containing  all  the  Words  to  be  found  in  the  large  Work  relating  to  the  New 
Testament.  1 vol.  18mo.  50  cents. 

THE  POLYMICRIAN  NEW  TESTAMENT. 

Numerous  References,  Maps,  &c.  1 vol.  18mo.  50  cents 

THE  SACRED  CHOIR: 

A COLLECTION  OF  CHURCH  MUSIC: 

Consisting  of  Selections  from  the  most  distinguished  authors,  among  whom 
are  the  names  of  IIaydn,  Mozart,  Beethoven,  Pergolessi,  &c.  &c. 
with  several  pieces  of  Music  by  the  author  ; also  a Progressive  Elementary 
System  of  Instruction  for  Pupils.  By  George  Kingsley,  author  of  the  So- 
cial Choir,  &c.  &c.  Fourth  edition  $0  75 


)'  ' . • 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 
220  B47  C001 

Bible  expositor : confirmations  of  the  t 


